Italy faces summer's most intense heatwave with 45°C highs

Nine cities will be under red heat alerts on Friday, while northern regions face a growing risk of torrential rain, hail and strong winds. The fifth extreme heatwave of the summer has arrived in Italy at the end of August, following a brief spell of unsettled weather that helped bring temperatures down. According to forecasts, it will not last long, with high temperatures between 27 and 29 August, but it is expected to be the most intense heatwave of the season. Driven by an African anticyclone, which could also bring Saharan dust, the stifling heat will be concentrated in southern and central Italy, with temperatures reaching 8-10°C above average. On Thursday, three cities are already under a red alert, according to the latest bulletin from the Health Ministry (source in Italian): Bari, Palermo and Campobasso. Nine cities are on orange alert: Ancona, Cagliari, Catania, Florence, Latina, Messina, Reggio Calabria, Rieti and Rome. Peak temperatures are expected on Friday and Saturday, especially in the South, Lazio and the central Adriatic regions. Friday, 28 August, could be the hottest day of summer 2026, with temperatures reaching 45°C in eastern Sicily and 44°C in Puglia. In several inland areas of Calabria, extreme peaks of 45-46°C are forecast. The heatwave will also affect Sardinia, where maximum temperatures of 44°C are expected, accompanied by "super-tropical" nights when overnight lows on the plains will not fall below 25°C. On Friday, nine cities will be on red alert: Bari, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania, Latina, Messina, Palermo, Reggio Calabria and Rome. In central and southern Italy, temperatures will reach 42°C in Foggia, 40°C in Isernia and 38-39°C in Rome. The worst of the heat will spare the North, where maximum temperatures are falling, with the Milan area perhaps not even reaching 30°C and Turin at between 27 and 28°C, while the Veneto Plain will see a peak of 34°C. The north-west will instead be affected by gradually worsening weather. On Friday, the most severe conditions are expected across northern regions, with a risk of torrential rain, hail and strong gusts of wind. A general improvement and drop in temperatures is expected over the weekend, especially in central and southern Italy. The start of September should remain summery, but between Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September, a new unstable front could move into the north of the country, possibly later involving parts of central Italy. The south will remain warmer.