Overview
- Colder air spreading across the country on 5 January is driving thunderstorms and heavy rain over central and southern regions, while the North turns markedly colder with snow possible at low elevations.
- The Dipartimento della Protezione Civile placed sectors of Marche, Umbria, Abruzzo, Lazio, Molise and Campania under yellow alert for 5 January after early snow and ice in Tuscany’s Alto Mugello required road operations.
- Forecasts point to the most intense phase between 6 and 7 January, with snow potentially reaching the plains in Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino‑Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia‑Romagna and Marche, and hill snow in Tuscany and Umbria.
- Strong northerly winds are expected to boost the chill and churn very rough seas, especially in the Ionian and southern Adriatic, while Scirocco winds may persist over parts of the far South.
- Night and early‑morning frost is set to become widespread in the Centre‑North, with lows near −9°C in Trento and Bolzano and around −4°C in Milan and Turin, as Sicily could see peaks near 20°C.