The first heatwave of the year is set to hit Italy on Monday, with temperatures rising to 40 degrees Celsius in Sardinia and reaching 33-37 degrees Celsius in other parts, the Italian Meteorological Society (Smi) warned.
The hot weather brought by an African anticyclone “will not be record-breaking but it will be impressive”, said Smi.
The island region of Sardinia will be the first to experience the heat, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees in inland areas at the start of the week.
By mid-week temperatures will also have risen in the inland Tyrrhenian areas, particularly in Tuscany and Lazio, and also in Puglia and Basilicata, reaching 33-37 degrees or more.
However, from Thursday a breakdown of the high pressure system is expected in the north, with thunderstorms forecast in upper Lombardy, in the Triveneto and in the northeast in general, and temperatures falling to 27-30 degrees maximum.
Instead, the hot weather will continue in the South and on the major islands, with highs of 35 degrees.
On Saturday, cooler weather and rainfall are forecast in Emilia Romagna, with the possible risk of minor flooding in areas where drainage networks are still clogged with debris and mud following the flood and landslide emergency in May.
