Italy faced hottest summer since 1950

Summer 2026 was the hottest in Italy since 1950, surpassing the previous record set in 2003, according to an analysis by the Institute for Bioeconomy of Italy's National Research Council, financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported Monday.

“The average temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius (75.7F) recorded in summer 2026 exceeds the previous record of 23.6 degrees Celsius (74.5F) set in 2003,” said Lorenzo Arcidiaco, a researcher at the institute.

The institute analyzed temperature data recorded since 1950 in the ERA5-Land database of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

August was also the hottest on record, with an average temperature of 25.6C (78.1F), surpassing the previous records of 24.6C (76.3F) in 2024 and 24C (75.2F) in 2017, Arcidiaco said.

He said the data suggest 2026 could end as Italy's hottest year since 1950, noting that July and August were the hottest months on record consecutively for the first time.

Spring also saw a record average temperature of 12.1C (53.8F), matching the level seen in 2024, which was the hottest year since 1950.

From January through August, about 70% of Italy's territory saw temperature anomalies of more than 1C (1.8F), while around 40% saw anomalies exceeding 2C (3.6F), according to the institute.

The areas most affected included lowland areas in northwestern Italy and the Apennine regions.

The institute said much of the affected land is cultivated, with higher temperatures and drought in some areas making the agricultural sector particularly vulnerable.

Rome, Florence, and Turin were also hit repeatedly by heat waves in June, July, and August, with maximum temperatures exceeding the 90th percentile for at least six consecutive days.