Il record heat does not leave Italy. The fourth heat wave of summer 2026 reaches its most intense moment and Thursday August 6 an unprecedented figure will be recorded: for the first time all the 27 city monitored by the Ministry of Health will be simultaneously in red dotThis maximum emergency situation will be completed with the addition of Messina and Reggio Calabria, previously excluded from the maximum alert level, bringing all monitored locations into the highest risk band.
A hot wave destined to to last longerThe African anticyclone will continue to dominate the country in the coming days, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, muggy temperatures, and tropical nights. The intense heat will accompany Italy. at least until mid-August, while for a possible turning point we will have to wait for the second half of August.
Hot August 2026, temperatures up to 40 degrees and tropical nights
The African anticyclone continues to dominate the Italian weather scenario, pushing temperatures to exceptional levels. In several areas, temperatures have already exceeded 40 degrees: Florence the thermometer reached 41 degrees, while in Liguria, Lerici, values above the 40 threshold were recorded. Rome The heat can be felt even on the ground: in some neighborhoods, the asphalt can reach temperatures close to 50 degrees, transforming the capital into a true heat island.
In the next few days the heat will remain intense with peaks up to 39-40 degrees, but the high humidity will especially make the situation more difficult. Temperatures will struggle to drop even at night, with many regions experiencing tropical nights above 25 degrees.
In some areas, especially along the coasts and inland areas where the air struggles to cool, the nighttime minimums they will be able to arrive even at 28-29 degrees, increasing discomfort and making recovery difficult after days of extreme heat.
When will the heat end? The heat will continue until mid-August.
The question that accompanies this long, burning phase is always the same: When will the heat end in Italy? Le forecast indicate that the African anticyclone will remain the protagonist for a long time to come. The intense heat will continue at least until August 15th, especially at Center-Sud, where temperatures will remain high and the heat will not give any respite.
A first change It could arrive as early as weekend and the beginning of next week: the cooler currents arriving from the Atlantic could favor more widespread thunderstorms at North part, not only on the mountains but also in the Po Valley. These will be locally intense phenomena, fueled by the enormous amount of heat and humidity present in the atmosphere, with possible hailstorms and strong gusts of wind. Therefore, a respite from the most intense heat, but not necessarily from extreme phenomena. Center-Sud, however, the effect of the disturbance will be more limited: between the end of the week and the beginning of the next the peaks will be slightly reduced, but the the heat will remain intense with temperatures up to 37-38 degrees.
For a real weather change, we will have to look to the second half of the month: between the 17 and the 18 August A more significant drop in temperatures could occur thanks to the arrival of cooler and more unstable currents. However, one development remains to be confirmed: the African anticyclone has already demonstrated remarkable persistence and resilience, which is why the possible turnaround after mid-August will need to be verified in future updates.
