The mild autumnwith its unusually high temperatures for the period, It seems like a distant memory now. A wave of icy air coming from Sweden is in fact rapidly hitting our peninsula, causing a sharp drop in temperatures and bringing with it the first snow at low altitude.
According to the forecasts of iLMeteo.itthe “winter turning point”, which already began yesterday, will reach its peak today, Friday 15 November. This mass of cold air, defined by experts as a “polar core”, is moving rapidly along the entire Adriatic strip, from Romagna to the Otranto Canal.
Snow on the Apennines
Mountain lovers can finally rejoice: Scattered snowfall is expected across the Romagna ApenninesMarche and Abruzzo, with accumulations that could reach 20-30 cm above 1000 meters above sea level in the Abruzzo Apennines. It cannot be ruled out that snow could also make its appearance at lower altitudes, whitening the hilly landscapes and giving us the first winter postcards.
Temperatures plummeting
Even large cities will not be spared from the cold. In Rome, the minimum expected for today is 2 degreesthe lowest value in the last 12 years in the second ten days of November. A record? Not exactly. On 18 November 1981, in a climate context very different from the current one, it dropped to -3.2 degrees in Ciampino. Florence is also preparing for 48 hours of intense cold, with minimum temperatures close to zero in the peripheral areas.
Frost in the North
Glacial temperatures across the entire Po Valley, with widespread frosts that will whiten the landscape from Veneto to Piedmont. A “below zero” awakening for many cities in the North, with the possibility of disruption to road traffic due to the formation of ice.
Cold showers in the South
The wave of frost will not spare Southern Italy. In the next few hours, “cold” showers are expected in Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Tyrrhenian Sicily, with snow levels around 1200-1500 metres. The tense and crisp wind, coming from the northern quadrants, will make temperatures feel even colder, amplifying the sensation of cold.
Weekend of respite
Fortunately, the weekend promises a respite from the bad weather. On Saturday and Sunday the sun will prevail, with clear skies over much of the country, giving us ideal days to spend time outdoors, perhaps with a nice walk in the mountains to admire the snow-covered landscapes. Some low clouds could affect the Po Valley and the central-southern Adriatic coasts. It will be very cold in the morning with frosts in the North and locally in the Centre. On Sunday, light rains could affect Eastern Liguria and Upper Tuscany due to Libeccio sea currents.
But be careful! Despite the weekend of respite, next week promises to be an intense phase of rain. The first rains are expected in the Tyrrhenian sectors as early as Monday 18th November, but the peak is expected for Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th November.
A disturbed front descending from Northern Europe will arrive in our country, starting a phase of widespread and intense bad weather. The incoming cold and unstable air will favor the formation of an insidious cyclone over Italy. Heavy rain, gale-force winds and the possibility of flash floods are expected, especially in the North-East, Central-South and on the two largest islands.
According to iLMeteo.it, on Tuesday 19th, Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st November, they could drop to over 100 liters of water per square meter in a few hours. Flooding or critical issues related to waterways cannot be ruled out, also considering that we have already come from a rather rainy period with the soil now saturated and no longer able to absorb any more water.
Also noteworthy are the very strong winds that they will blow with gale force in particular on the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic sectors and which could cause storm surges along the most exposed coasts.
In the second part of the week, the cold air of polar origin will expand across all of Italycausing a further drop in temperatures. A real anticipation of winter with intense cold and widespread bad weather.
