Thirty-six hours of respite, then the change of scene. The weekend that is about to arrive opens with a sub-Saharan anticyclone rising over the Mediterranean – warm air rising from the subtropics and spreading over central-western Europe, bringing with it stability, sun and temperatures which, for the month of April, have little to envy of summer.
A sunny Saturday
Saturday 18th April will be the best day. In the Centre-North, temperatures will widely exceed 24-25°C; on the Po plains, on the Tyrrhenian sides and on the two largest islands, even higher values could be reached. Florence and Rome are close to 26-27°C. The only note of caution concerns the central-eastern Alps, where some isolated precipitation will remain confined to the mountains without affecting the general picture.
Sunday 19th: the front arrives from the North
Stability, however, is on its last legs. On Sunday 19 April the situation changed in the afternoon, and it changed quickly. A storm front descending from Northern Europe breaks into the northern regions: the first phenomena develop in the Alpine and pre-Alpine areas, with the concrete possibility of extending to the plains of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli.
The mechanism is the classic one of convective storms, therefore rapid in forming and equally rapid in expiring. It’s not the kind of event that ruins your entire day — but when air masses with such different characteristics come together, the intensity can be high. The risk of hail is real and must be taken into consideration, especially for those planning outdoor activities in the afternoon. In the Centre-South the good weather is still holding up, thanks to the distance from the front.
