Italy has recorded its hottest summer since records began, with the average temperature rising to 24.3C across the country, according to the National Research Council’s Institute for Bioeconomy.
The figure for June to August exceeded the previous record of 23.6C set in 2003, based on temperature data collected since 1950 and held in the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ ERA5-Land database.
August was the hottest month, with a national average of 25.6C. That was 3.5C above the 1991-2020 average and surpassed the previous August record of 24.6C, recorded in 2024.
Lorenzo Arcidiaco, a researcher at the CNR Institute for Bioeconomy, said July and August had become the warmest months in the series consecutively for the first time.
The data also suggested that 2026 could become Italy’s hottest year since the records began. From January to August, temperatures were higher than during the same period last year in every month.
The areas most affected by the heat were concentrated in north-western plains and along the Apennines. Many are agricultural regions, where higher temperatures and drought have placed additional pressure on farming.
