The brief respite from scorching temperatures ends as high pressure rebuilds over Italy, triggering a sharp temperature rise from midweek. Lorenzo Tedici, meteorologist at iLMeteo.it, confirms unstable conditions will linger in the far south with isolated showers across Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria. Subsequently, a high-pressure system will engulf the country, bringing sunny but initially tolerable weather.
Temperatures surge Wednesday, exceeding 35°C in Tuscany and reaching 34°C in Rome. This marks the onset of an intensifying heat wave, peaking first on Sunday, August 10 (San Lorenzo). Thursday brings 36-37°C highs to Foggia and inland Umbria, while Modena, Bologna, and Ferrara hit 34-35°C.
Friday unleashes Africa-driven heat nationwide: Ferrara and Reggio Emilia will see 37°C in the north; Terni hits 38°C in central regions, with Florence and Frosinone at 36-37°C; southern cities like Benevento, Foggia, Taranto, Caserta, and Caltanissetta reach 37°C.
The climax arrives during the San Lorenzo weekend, with temperatures nearly double last week’s storm-cooled lows: Terni at 40°C, Benevento 39°C, and Rome, Florence, Ferrara, Frosinone, and Mantova at 38°C. Tedici states, “August’s second weekend will contrast starkly with the first—shifting from waterspouts, hail, and autumn-like chills to San Lorenzo’s furnace as a subtropical anticyclone ignites Italy for at least a week.”
Regional Forecast**
– *Tue, Aug 5*: North/Central: Sunny, warming. South: Clearing with showers in Calabria.
– *Wed, Aug 6*: North: Sunny, hotter; Alpine showers. Central/South: Clear, heating.
– *Thu, Aug 7*: Nationwide sunny, hotter, and increasingly humid.
Trend*: African high pressure dominates, pushing highs to 40°C.
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