This week will be the hottest of the year, but you have to be careful talking about records. According to meteorologists, the hottest summer ever in the last two centuries remains in fact that of 2003. With all due respect to the various and picturesque anticyclones that have tormented us in recent weeks: from Hannibal to Scipio, up to Caligula, who has just left us , and to the present Lucifer.
"From May to August in the summer of 2003, the hottest temperatures were recorded since 1800", explains Michele Brunetti, of the Cnr. September 2003 was also the warmest globally since 1880, according to the US agency for the atmosphere and oceans (NOAA).
Nine years ago, in August alone, there were 35 victims of the heat throughout Europe (17 of whom were elderly). In Italy, 4 people died among the over XNUMXs.
According to Brunetti, “the heat of summer 2003 was much more persistent. That exceptional situation lasted for months”. That is to say that the months of May, June and July were also the hottest ever recorded in the last two centuries. However, the same cannot be said for the same period in 2012: "In the current summer we have had just two and a half months of penetrating heat, essentially due to the arrival of anticyclones from Africa towards Italy".
In the meantime, however, even today throughout Italy the temperatures will be scorching, with an average of around 38-40 degrees, and it will be like this at least until Thursday. Then there will be a small respite, with a drop in temperatures of 7-8 degrees in the North and in the Centre.
