Extreme temperatures are becoming more common in Mediterranean countries and Italy is no exception. The transalpine country is starting this Monday a record heatwave, one of the biggest in decades, with temperatures around 104ºF degrees, peaking at 115ºF in southern areas, while the north will be affected by bad weather with expected intense storms, reports Efe.
The African anticyclone advancing over southern Italy will bring at least five days of scorching heat to the regions of Apulia and Basilicata, with 111ºF degrees in the shade, and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where in some inland locations temperatures are expected to reach 114.8ºF degrees, according to meteorologists.
The intensity of the heat combined with dry winds could even lead to surpassing Europe's record for the highest temperature, the 120ºF degrees recorded in Floridia, in the Sicilian province of Siracusa, on August 11, 2021.
However, rain and hail will be the norm in the northern part of the country, affected by opposing atmospheric figures: on one hand, the African heat, and on the other, an unstable front connected to a cyclone over northern Europe.
This will result in an increased risk of extreme weather events, with intense storms affecting the alpine region, as well as the plains of Piedmont and Lombardy.
Violent phenomena are expected, with strong wind gusts and intense precipitation, with rainfall accumulations of more than 100/150 mm, which could lead to local flooding or landslides.
"Italy will be the stage for an extreme scenario that has little to do with the Mediterranean climate. In the south, temperatures will reach values above 113ºF, while in the north, storms will be a daily occurrence with possible hailstorms, downpours, and gusts of wind," explains meteorologist Federico Brescia from meteo.it.