Italy braces for first major heatwave this summer with highs of up to 40°C

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Temperatures set to peak in Italy over the weekend. Italy is preparing for the first prolonged heatwave of the 2026 summer season, as a powerful high-pressure system of subtropical origin – the so-called African anticyclone – pushes north from the Sahara and settles over the Mediterranean. Forecasters describe it as far more intense and longer-lasting than the brief hot spell seen at the end of May. Temperatures began climbing on Wednesday 17 June and are expected to intensify through Thursday and Friday before peaking over the weekend, with the surge likely to coincide with the summer solstice on Sunday 21 June. Widespread highs of 35°C are forecast across the Po Valley and central Italy from midweek, rising to 36-37°C in cities such as Florence, Bologna, Modena, Parma and Rome by Thursday. By Friday and through the weekend, Florence could reach 38-39°C, with Bologna, Rome, Ferrara and Modena not far behind; Sardinia's Oristano area may see peaks of around 41°C, among the highest in the country. High humidity means the "perceived" temperature in parts of the Po Valley, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio could climb to 42-43°C, while overnight lows are forecast to stay above 20°C in many areas - so-called tropical nights that prevent buildings from cooling down. The intense heat is also expected to fuel localised but potentially severe thunderstorms, particularly over the Alps and the western Po Valley, especially around Friday 19 June. The health ministry's heatwave bulletin placed five cities - Bologna, Brescia, Turin, Florence and Perugia - under a Level 2 "orange" alert for Thursday, rising to eight cities, including Milan, Rieti and Bolzano, by Friday, with a dozen more under a lower Level 1 "yellow" warning. University of Trento atmospheric physicist Lorenzo Giovannini said the warm air, moving up from Morocco and Algeria, would also affect Spain and southern France before reaching northern Italy, and stressed that this episode is more significant than May's. Meteorologist Andrea Giuliacci added that the whole country would be affected, though northern regions would see the greatest deviation from seasonal norms. Experts note the current heatwave is unrelated to El Niño, a separate Pacific Ocean phenomenon. In response, around 10 regions - including Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Veneto, Puglia, Umbria and Abruzzo - have issued or renewed ordinances banning strenuous outdoor work, such as construction, agriculture and quarrying, between 12.30 and 16.00 on days flagged as high-risk by the Worklimate monitoring platform. The restrictions, which carry penalties for non-compliance, generally remain in force until the end of August or mid-September, depending on the region. Photo credit: Massimo Todaro / Shutterstock.com