As of: 31 August 2026. This overview summarises the current situation in Sicily: the continuing highest alert level for wildfire danger, the development of the heatwave, the traffic situation, and the most important cultural events of the coming two weeks.
Nature & Safety
Wildfire and Heat Warning
As of midnight, a new official warning from the regional Civil Protection authority is in effect: in all nine provinces of Sicily – Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse and Trapani – the wildfire danger level has been set to maximum. The cause is a ridge of high pressure between North Africa and the central Mediterranean, which brings slightly declining but locally still very high temperatures, with weak to moderate northerly winds and humidity of 40 to 60 percent. No significant rainfall is in sight.
After the season’s worst fire weekend, the situation remains out of control in several parts of the island. Below are the main hotspots as of Monday morning.
Northeast: Castelmola and Taormina
The fire that broke out above Taormina on Sunday afternoon had still not been extinguished by Monday night. The focus is Contrada Portella Vigna near Castelmola, from where the flames spread towards the neighbouring municipality of Mongiuffi Melia. Firefighters were deployed throughout the night; the mayor of Castelmola stated that numerous houses had been saved from the flames, but that by Monday morning individual buildings in the area were again at risk. Weekend press reports also mentioned a temporarily closed section of the A18 motorway between Messina and Catania in connection with the fire; whether the section was fully passable again by Monday could not be conclusively established by the time of writing. Anyone using this route towards Taormina should check the current traffic status beforehand. Summary reports also name the area around Zafferana Etnea on the eastern slope of Etna as affected; reliable details on the extent or personnel deployed are not yet available.
Palermo’s West: Ciminna and the Madonie
The situation also remains tense around Ciminna. According to the mayor, more than 600 hectares of vegetation have now burned in the municipality; he speaks of deliberate arson and is calling on the region for additional support as well as the declaration of a state of disaster for the municipal area. The 26-year-old man who was severely injured during weekend firefighting efforts, having been trapped by the flames while trying to protect his own property and then taken first by ambulance and then by helicopter to the plastic surgery department of the Ospedale Civico in Palermo, remained, according to hospital reports from 31 August, in serious but stable condition with a guarded prognosis. In the Madonie, particularly around Polizzi Generosa, mop-up and monitoring work continues; no new escalation beyond the weekend is known there so far.
Agrigento’s Southwest: Sciacca Still Without All-Clear
For the roughly 500 people evacuated from the coastal area of Makauda near Sciacca on Saturday, there is still no confirmed date for their return. Around 100 guests at an affected holiday complex were unable to return immediately to their accommodation even after the fire was extinguished, due to a power outage and smoke and soot contamination; the municipality had provided a school as emergency shelter. The SS115 state road, temporarily closed for firefighting operations, had not been clearly confirmed as reopened by the time of writing. Here too: check locally before travelling or consult current traffic reports.
A Record Season
This season’s fire figures are the highest in years. By the end of July, according to the region and European earth observation data, around 510 square kilometres of Sicilian territory had burned – meaning Sicily accounted for around 69 percent of the total area affected in Italy; in the week of 15 to 21 July alone, 16,834 hectares burned in 87 separate fires. On 11 August the regional government declared a state of emergency; a damage estimate from mid-August put the costs incurred up to that point at around 630 million euros. The region has since also declared a one-year regional crisis and emergency status for the worst-affected municipalities, most of which are inland. The head of the regional Civil Protection authority compared the situation on 31 August to the already severe 2023 season and spoke of a battle that could not be won with current resources; according to him, around 2,500 trained volunteers and 300 vehicles, including around 20 water-tanker trucks, are deployed continuously. The responsible national minister meanwhile criticised what he sees as an inadequate firefighting aircraft fleet – only 14 Canadair aircraft are available across the EU, with Italy itself having fewer than 20, not all of them operational – and called for more investment in prevention.
What This Means for Travellers
In the core tourist areas of the southeast – Syracuse, Noto, Ragusa, Modica – as well as on the east coast between Catania and Taormina, the situation has not worsened significantly compared to the weekend, even though the fire near Castelmola is in the immediate vicinity of Taormina. Anyone heading to the area around Taormina, the Madonie or the Sciacca region in the coming days should check the road conditions on the day of travel and allow for buffer time. Open fires, outdoor barbecues and discarding cigarettes are prohibited at this alert level and are punished severely. Anyone who sees a column of smoke should call the emergency number 112 and not attempt to extinguish it themselves – the serious injuries over the weekend were almost without exception the result of unauthorised firefighting attempts. Smoke also irritates the airways and eyes; if there is heavy smoke near your accommodation, it is advisable to keep windows closed and set air conditioning to recirculate.
Heat: Relief on the Coast, Further Rise in the West
For today’s heat, a two-way split is emerging: along the Tyrrhenian coast and in the Syracuse area, the foehn effect that has dominated recent days is easing and being replaced by a weak northerly flow. There, values are dropping from a recent 40 to 45 degrees to a noticeably more bearable 31 to 33 degrees – though this won’t bring real coolness, as humidity is rising at the same time. Inland, the drop is smaller. In the Trapani area and the western part of the Agrigento province, on the other hand, a slight further rise to up to 36 degrees is expected. You can find current figures for individual locations in our Sicily weather overview.
Etna, Stromboli and Earthquakes
According to the latest bulletin from the responsible observatory, Etna continues to show weak, irregular explosive activity at the Voragine crater as well as weak gas emissions from Bocca Nuova and the Northeast Crater. The summit zone above around 2,500 metres and the upper Valle del Bove up to 1,700 metres remain closed; outside this zone, access is only possible accompanied by licensed mountain guides, who are also best placed to assess the current situation on site. On Stromboli, the usual Strombolian activity continues; ascent beyond the height permitted for individual visitors remains reserved for guided tours. No significant earthquakes felt on land with a connection to Sicily have been recorded in the past 48 hours.
Travel & Transport
On the A20 motorway between Palermo and Messina, a coach left the road early this morning near the Tusa exit in the Nebrodi area and collided with the guardrail. No one was injured; recovery and accident processing took several hours, with temporary restrictions on this stretch of road. Anyone travelling on this route today should allow a little extra time as a precaution.
No new strikes or widespread disruptions are reported for ferries, flights or rail over the coming 24 to 48 hours. Catania airport is currently operating without restrictions; however, decisions on closures due to Etna ash continue to be made at short notice and on an hourly basis, so the situation can change on the day of travel itself. Looking further ahead, it remains relevant that a nationwide rail strike has been announced for 7 and 8 September, which will also affect regional transport in Sicily – anyone planning a train journey during this period should factor that in now.
The extensive road closure around Parco della Favorita in Palermo, which was in place for the concert weekend at the racecourse, was lifted in the early hours of the morning. Traffic in the north of the city will therefore return to normal over the course of the day. For information on zones and parking spaces, see Parking in Sicily.
Events & Culture
Lunedì di San Corrado in Noto – Today, 31 August
Yesterday, Noto marked the high point of the summer patronal festival for San Corrado Confalonieri, the town’s patron saint, with the procession of the silver ark. Following tradition, the Monday afterwards brings its own, smaller feast day, colloquially known as the “Lunedì di San Corrado” – a deliberately quieter finale in which the celebrations move from the historic centre to the coast.
This evening’s centrepiece is a free concert at Lido di Noto, the municipality’s coastal area around seven kilometres from the old town. Italian singer Michele Zarrillo takes the stage from 9pm, with the evening hosted by Salvo La Rosa. At midnight, the programme traditionally ends with a firework display over the sea, officially closing this year’s San Corrado festivities.
In practical terms, this means: admission is free, but good spots at the Lido should be secured early given the expected crowds. Because of the heat, arriving in the late afternoon rather than at midday is advisable. After the fireworks at midnight, heavy traffic is to be expected on the access road between Noto and the Lido; public transport runs only on a limited basis at this late hour, so a car, taxi, or travelling together with locals is recommended for the return journey.
ViniMilo on Etna – 46th Edition of the Island’s Oldest Wine Festival
On the eastern slope of Etna, the 46th edition of ViniMilo, Sicily’s oldest grape harvest festival, is running from 27 August to 13 September. The event takes place in the municipality of Milo, which lies within the Etna Bianco Superiore DOC growing area and whose winemaking tradition is closely tied to the volcanic soil of Etna’s eastern slope. For 46 years, the event has honoured local producers shortly before the start of the grape harvest.
The main square festival, with stalls from wine producers, takes place on the first two weekends of September: on the 5th and 6th, and again on the 12th and 13th. On these days, visitors can taste and buy wines from participating producers in the centre of Milo. Alongside this, twelve guided tastings with oenologists, wine journalists and sommeliers are scheduled, as well as gourmet dinners, literary encounters and discussion panels between artists and wine industry professionals.
For trip planning: Milo lies off the main tourist routes on Etna and is best reached by rental car; on the two festival weekends, noticeably heavier traffic and limited parking in the town centre are to be expected, and arriving early in the afternoon makes finding a parking space easier. Anyone wishing to take part in one of the guided tastings should check availability and any costs with the event organisers in advance, as places are limited. Free access to the square festival itself is possible regardless.
Smaller events on the side: in Petralia Soprana in the Madonie, the two-day Sagra del Sale, centred on local rock salt, ends today with processions, craft stalls and live music. Also ahead is the Acchianata for Santa Rosalia in Palermo on 3 and 4 September, the night-time ascent to the shrine on Monte Pellegrino.
Note: all information as of 31 August 2026. Before travelling, please check current timetables, opening hours, event dates, and weather and safety warnings again.
