Overview

• Under an Azores anticyclone, clear skies and highs of 30–32 °C are expected across Italy through Wednesday
• Weather models show an African high building in from Thursday, triggering a rapid rise in temperatures
• Many regions are forecast to exceed 35 °C this weekend, with widespread 37–38 °C readings and up to 40 °C in the South
• The heatwave is projected to persist at least until mid-August, extending a run of above-average summer temperatures
• Before the full heat surge, isolated showers and thunderstorms may still affect parts of southern Italy