The summer is already making its voice heard in Italy. Officially will start on Sunday 21 June, with the summer solstice, but the heat has already taken hold of the Peninsula with decidedly intense temperatures. From Saturday 20 June the country enters the heart of a new hot wave, driven by a robust subtropical anticyclone placed firmly between France and Italy. The result will be a sunny weekend, but also by off-scale values, persistent mugginess and some threat of thunderstorms during the hottest hours.
Thermometers will rise widely well above the averages for the period, with temperatures as much as 8-10 degrees above normal. Highs could reach 38-39°C, even locally in the north, while nights are likely to become particularly cold: in several urban and coastal areas, the mercury will struggle to drop below 25°C.
The heat is relentless: temperatures will reach 39 degrees this weekend.
La second heat wave of 2026 It presents itself with marked characteristics: sunshine almost everywhere, light winds, calm or almost calm seas, and humidity destined to amplify the feeling of discomfort. It won't just be the daytime heat that will weigh on you, but also the nighttime heat, with high minimum temperatures and "tropical night" conditions in many cities.
Le most exposed areas will be the Po Valley, the inland areas of the Centre and the coasts, where the combination of accumulated heat and humidity will make the heat particularly persistent. physiological discomfort It will be especially accentuated in large cities, where the urban effect will tend to retain heat even after sunset.
On Saturday, the weather will be fully summery across the country. Stable, sunny, and very hot weather will prevail in central and southern Italy, with temperatures rising further. In the north, the day will start with largely clear skies, but the weather could change rapidly in the mountains during the afternoon.
Red dots rising, Rome remains orange
Il intense heat also raises the alert level in the monitored cities Due to the health risk. On Saturday, June 20, the red warning, the highest risk level, will also apply to Bolzano, Milan, and Rieti, joining Bologna, Brescia, Florence, Perugia, and Turin. These are cities where the heat can have negative effects not only on vulnerable individuals, but also on the general population.
Rome, however, remains in orangeThis level indicates a particular risk for the elderly, children, people with medical conditions, and the most vulnerable. Trieste, Venice, and Verona are also listed in orange, along with the other provinces of Lazio: Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, and Viterbo. The green dots are disappearing, indicating that the pre-alert or heat alert phase now covers the entire monitored urban area.
The other side of the anticyclone: thunderstorms and hail this afternoon.
Despite the high pressure domainThe weekend won't be completely stable from start to finish. The significant buildup of heat and humidity during the central hours of the day could trigger classic heat storms, often rapid but locally intense. Saturday instability will affect Especially the Alps, Prealps, and Northern Apennines, with possible spillovers into the nearby plains. Where thunderstorms develop, the available energy in the atmosphere could favor heavy showers, gusty winds, and localized hailstorms. Along the central-southern Apennine ridge, brief afternoon showers are also possible, but the weather will remain mostly stable and sunny.
The script will change little on SundayIn the North, the morning will remain sunny, then in the afternoon, thunderstorms will return to the Alps, Prealps, and Apennine areas, with the risk of spilling over into the adjacent plains. Central and southern Italy will remain immersed in a warm and bright day, interrupted only by isolated storms on the mountains in the middle of the day.
Sunday still sultry, then Cerberus insists
Sunday 21 June will confirm the strength of the anticycloneThe heat will remain intense, temperatures will remain stable at exceptionally high levels, and the mugginess will continue to be felt especially in inland areas, plains, and large urban centers. Coasts and seaside resorts will enjoy favorable swimming conditions, thanks to light winds and calm seas, but the humid heat will persist well into the evening hours.
The trend for the following days does not suggest a real change of scenery. Cerberus, the subtropical high pressure will continue to dominate over Italy, maintaining temperatures up to 39-40°C and tropical nightsThe Mediterranean summer is thus entering its full swing, with intense and persistent heat.
