Overview

• The Ministero della Salute has issued a red heat alert for 11 cities, where temperatures are expected to reach up to 37°C on June 15
• An African anticyclone is driving the extreme heat, pushing temperatures well above seasonal averages across the peninsula
• A North Atlantic ‘cold drop’ will descend from the Alps to Sicily starting Monday, destabilizing the atmosphere and ending the heatwave
• Forecasters warn of violent thunderstorms, supercell formation and hail up to 3 cm in diameter from June 16 onwards, first in northern regions and then in central and southern areas
• Temperatures are forecast to fall sharply and skies to clear by June 18 as the cold-air mass moves on toward the southern islands