La week of August 2024 announces itself under the banner of a hot intense and relentless, with the sun and the high temperature which will continue to dominate Italy. The African anticyclone, which has been keeping our country in check for weeks, shows no signs of giving up. After August 15th, however, a change: A disturbance from Western Europe will bring increasing cloud cover and the possibility of brief temporal, especially in the North-West and in Sardinia, with possible phenomena of Maltempo such as strong winds and hailstorms, but not until Sunday.
In the meantime, Italy will experience days of scorching heat, with peaks close to 40 degrees. Higher temperatures are expected at South and in major islands, where temperatures could exceed 40 degrees. In cities such as Florence and Rome, the climate will be particularly oppressive, with temperatures perceived around 38-39 degrees and night-time lows unlikely to drop below 25 degrees. These values make the heat almost tropical, creating a climate that is difficult to bear, especially in the evening hours.
The red-sticker cities
In the next few days, several Italian cities will be marked with the red dot, an alert level indicating emergency conditions related to the heat wave. As reported by the Ministry of Health website, on August 12th the cities under the red sticker will be: Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Cagliari, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, GenoVa, Latina, Palermo, Perugia, Rieti, Roma, Torino, Trieste e Verona. The next day, August 13, they will also be added to the list Milano e Napoli. On August 14, the red stamp will be extended to Bari, Venice e Viterbo.
The weather forecast for the week
Tuesday August 13. Temperatures continue to rise, reaching high peaks even in the North, with maximums that could reach up to 36 degrees in Bologna and Ferrara. In the Center and South, the heat will be even more marked, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees. Also on this day, the sun will be the undisputed protagonist, without any particular changes in the weather.
Wednesday August 14. The weather conditions are starting to change. In the North-West and in Sardinia, the arrival of a disturbance will lead to an increase in cloud cover and possible afternoon thunderstorms. In other regions, the sunshine will persist, but temperatures may begin to show the first signs of abating. In the Center and South, intense heat will continue to dominate, with maximum values above 40 degrees.
Thursday August 15th. Ferragosto opens with persistent heat, with temperatures that will exceed 40 degrees in many areas of the country. In the North-West and in Sardinia, cloud cover will increase further, with the probability of thunderstorms and bad weather phenomena, including strong gusts of wind and hailstorms in mountainous and inland areas. Other regions will continue to experience sunshine and intense heat, especially in the larger islands.
After August 15th everything changes
Immediately after August 15th, cool flows from the Atlantic and Northern Europe could start to influence the climate. This could lead to a gradual easing of the heat, but also to a wave of Maltempo with heavy rain, intense thunderstorms and hailstorms, particularly at Center-North. Experts warn that the meeting of warm and cool air masses could give rise to extreme weather events, making it necessary to carefully monitor forecasts in the following days.
