Italy braces for new heatwave with highs of 40°C

African anticyclone set to bring sweltering conditions and "tropical nights" across the country. Italy has entered its third heatwave of the summer, with forecasters warning of temperatures reaching up to 41°C in the coming days. The hot spell, driven by an expanding African anticyclone combined with the Azores high, took hold from Wednesday 8 July after a brief spell of unsettled weather brought some respite over the previous weekend. Meteorologists say this marks the third distinct African heat surge of 2026, following episodes in late May and again between mid-June and early July. Forecasters at iLMeteo.it note that, taken together, the three spells amount to one long, near-continuous period of thermal anomaly stretching back to the end of May, interrupted only by brief returns to seasonal norms. Where it will be hottest The first phase of the heatwave has been hitting the northern and central plains hardest. Cremona, in Lombardy, recorded the country's highest reading so far, with temperatures nearing 41°C, while Milan topped 38°C and most other cities in Lombardia passed 37°C, with only Varese (35°C) and Sondrio (33°C) spared the worst of it. The second and more intense phase, expected from around 15 to 20 July, is forecast to shift southwards, with the centre-south, Sardinia and Puglia bearing the brunt. Inland areas of Sardinia and Puglia in particular could see the mercury exceed 40-41°C, in what forecasters describe as one of the most intense heat episodes of the summer so far. Milder, though still well above-average, conditions of 33-36°C are expected in cities such as Rome, Bologna, Florence and Naples during the build-up. Adding to the discomfort are so-called "tropical nights", when overnight lows fail to drop below 20°C - and in some cities stay above 24-25°C - denying residents the usual night-time relief and increasing the strain on the body's ability to regulate temperature. Health alerts Three cities - Perugia, Pescara and Turin - were placed on "orange" alert (Level 2), the second-highest tier, on Thursday, according to the latest bulletin by the Italian health ministry. Florence is on "red" alert (Level 3), the maximum level - on Thursday and Friday - reflecting the greatest risk to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, infants and those with chronic illnesses. Perugia will be upgraded to a red alert on Friday, with Rome passing to an orange alert. A European-wide phenomenon The heat is not confined to Italy. Spain has recorded even higher peaks, with 42-44°C registered in parts of Andalusia, Aragón and the Valencia region, prompting an orange alert for extreme heat and warnings of "very high or extreme" wildfire risk in several regions. France and Germany are also expected to feel the effects from the weekend, while temperatures in parts of Morocco and Algeria - the ultimate source of the hot air mass - could approach 48°C. The World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge, has warned that "more deadly weeks" could lie ahead for the region, convening a meeting of 41 countries and the European Commission to discuss the public health response. Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 35-38°C combined with high humidity significantly raises cardiovascular stress and mortality risk, particularly among older people, infants and those with chronic conditions. When might it end? Forecasters caution there is no clear end in sight before late July. A brief, modest dip in temperatures is expected in Italy over the coming weekend as weak instability brings some thundery showers, chiefly to the north, but the anticyclone is expected to reassert itself from the following Monday. Meteorologists suggest a more decisive change - bringing cooler air and a return of rain to northern Italy - is unlikely before 19-20 July, when Atlantic low-pressure systems currently blocked to the west of Europe may finally push further east. Photo credit: Massimo Todaro / Shutterstock.com

WIRE — African anticyclone set to bring sweltering conditions and "tropical nights" across the country. Italy has entered its third heatwave of the summer, with forecasters warning of temperatures reaching up to 41°C in the coming days. The hot spell, driven by an expanding African anticyclone combined with the Azores high, took hold from Wednesday 8 July after a brief spell of unsettled weather brought some respite over the previous weekend. Meteorologists say this marks the third distinct African heat surge of 2026, following episodes in late May and again between mid-June and early July. Forecasters at iLMeteo.it note that, taken together, the three spells amount to one long, near-continuous period of thermal anomaly stretching back to the end of May, interrupted only by brief returns to seasonal norms. Where it will be hottest The first phase of the heatwave has been hitting the northern and central plains hardest. Cremona, in Lombardy, recorded the country's highest reading so far, with temperatures nearing 41°C, while Milan topped 38°C and most other cities in Lombardia passed 37°C, with only Varese (35°C) and Sondrio (33°C) spared the worst of it. The second and more intense phase, expected from around 15 to 20 July, is forecast to shift southwards, with the centre-south, Sardinia and Puglia bearing the brunt. Inland areas of Sardinia and Puglia in particular could see the mercury exceed 40-41°C, in what forecasters describe as one of the most intense heat episodes of the summer so far. Milder, though still well above-average, conditions of 33-36°C are expected in cities such as Rome, Bologna, Florence and Naples during the build-up. Adding to the discomfort are so-called "tropical nights", when overnight lows fail to drop below 20°C - and in some cities stay above 24-25°C - denying residents the usual night-time relief and increasing the strain on the body's ability to regulate temperature. Health alerts Three cities - Perugia, Pescara and Turin - were placed on "orange" alert (Level 2), the second-highest tier, on Thursday, according to the latest bulletin by the Italian health ministry. Florence is on "red" alert (Level 3), the maximum level - on Thursday and Friday - reflecting the greatest risk to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, infants and those with chronic illnesses. Perugia will be upgraded to a red alert on Friday, with Rome passing to an orange alert. A European-wide phenomenon The heat is not confined to Italy. Spain has recorded even higher peaks, with 42-44°C registered in parts of Andalusia, Aragón and the Valencia region, prompting an orange alert for extreme heat and warnings of "very high or extreme" wildfire risk in several regions. France and Germany are also expected to feel the effects from the weekend, while temperatures in parts of Morocco and Algeria - the ultimate source of the hot air mass - could approach 48°C. The World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge, has warned that "more deadly weeks" could lie ahead for the region, convening a meeting of 41 countries and the European Commission to discuss the public health response. Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 35-38°C combined with high humidity significantly raises cardiovascular stress and mortality risk, particularly among older people, infants and those with chronic conditions. When might it end? Forecasters caution there is no clear end in sight before late July. A brief, modest dip in temperatures is expected in Italy over the coming weekend as weak instability brings some thundery showers, chiefly to the north, but the anticyclone is expected to reassert itself from the following Monday. Meteorologists suggest a more decisive change - bringing cooler air and a return of rain to northern Italy - is unlikely before 19-20 July, when Atlantic low-pressure systems currently blocked to the west of Europe may finally push further east. Photo credit: Massimo Todaro / Shutterstock.com

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