Summer comes to life under the sign of great heat. A vast high pressure field maintains conditions of atmospheric stability over much of Italy, favoring a significant increase in temperatures that go well above seasonal averages.
Weekend between sun and intense heat
Between Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June the weather is mainly stable from North to South, with clear or slightly cloudy skies. In the afternoon hours, some clouds mainly affect the northern regions, while isolated short-lived showers or thunderstorms may develop along the Alpine and Apennine mountains, in particular in the eastern Alps, the Apuan Alps and the Abruzzo mountains.
On Sunday, high and stratified clouds are more widespread in the North and in part of the Centre. In the hottest hours, the probability of thunderstorms scattered along the Alpine arc, the Apennine ridge and in the internal areas of the Center increases, but these are localized episodes which do not compromise the general picture of stability.
Generally weak winds and slightly rough seas accompany the weekend, contributing to a particularly marked feeling of sultriness in urban areas and in the plains.
Temperatures above normal
Temperatures remain widely above the average for the period. The highest peaks are recorded in the Po Valley, Tuscany, Lazio and in the internal areas of Puglia, Campania and Sardinia, where the maximum values widely reach 37-38 degrees.
Even the night hours are particularly hot, with high minimums especially in urban centres, along the coasts and in the plains. The absence of ventilation favors the accumulation of heat and makes it more difficult to cool during the night.
The trend until Tuesday 23 June
The start of the new week continues under the sign of the subtropical anticyclone, which continues to guarantee stable weather and very high temperatures. The days are mostly sunny, with only a few afternoon thunderstorms confined to the mountainous areas of the North and the Apennines.
The heat remains intense and widespread, with temperature values well above climatic averages and persistent muggy conditions especially in large cities and inland areas.
The week of June 22nd to 28th
During the week, the western Mediterranean remains affected by a subtropical promontory which mainly protects the North and part of Central Italy, maintaining generally stable conditions and low rainfall.
In the rest of the Center-South, however, a moderate cyclonic curvature remains which favors the development of more lively thunderstorm activity in the afternoon hours, especially along the Apennine sectors and in the internal areas of the two largest islands.
Precipitation is therefore higher than the seasonal average in the mountainous areas of Central-Southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia, while Tuscany, Marche and especially the northern regions record values lower than normal.
From a thermal point of view, no substantial changes are expected: the heat will continue to affect the entire country with temperatures well above the average for the period. The most marked anomalies are expected in the North-West, where the heat wave will be felt with particular intensity also in the following days.
