Overview

• On August 8, the African anticyclone dubbed Caronte drove daytime highs to 38 °C in Florence and Terni and 36 °C in Rome as the first phase of a ten-day heat wave began.
• Tropical nights with temperatures remaining above 22–23 °C are already making nighttime rest difficult across inland and urban areas.
• The Ministry of Health’s bollini system raised heat alerts for August 8 to yellow in 11 cities and to orange in Florence and Rieti to protect vulnerable groups.
• High humidity pushed the heat index up to 41 °C in Cremona, heightening risks of heat stress and prompting warnings about outdoor exertion.
• Forecast models show the anticyclone persisting through August 16–17, with cooler, unstable air potentially triggering thunderstorms in northern Italy afterward.