Milan, 6 August (LaPresse) – The four heatwaves to have hit Italy from May to the present have made this the “worst summer since 2003” in northern Italy in terms of “temperature anomalies”. Temperatures are well above historical averages and are expected to ‘come to an end’ around ‘23–24 August’, returning to values typical for this time of year. This was stated to LaPresse by Raffaele Salerno, director and chief science officer at Meteo Expert (formerly the Epson Meteo centre) and professor of meteorology at the University of Milan. The scientist explains that a comparison with 2003 – when Europe was hit by a massive heatwave – already shows a deviation from average temperatures (defined as an anomaly exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius) for the month of June 2026, pending the finalised data for July, which is already showing the same trend, and for August, which looks set to repeat the record-breaking heat. Salerno emphasises that what causes the most ‘discomfort’, particularly in ‘cities’, is the anomaly in ‘minimum’ temperatures rather than ‘maximum’ temperatures, when nights see temperatures above 25–26 degrees Celsius.
Heatwave: Meteo Expert meteorologist says, “In the North, it’s worse than 2003, with abnormal temperatures until 24 August”
Milan, 6 August (LaPresse) – The four heatwaves to have hit Italy from May to the present have made this the “worst summer since 2003” in northern Italy in terms of “temperature anomalies”. Temperatures are well above historical averages and are expected to ‘come to an end’ around ‘23–24 August’, returning to values typical for this time of year. This was stated to LaPresse by Raffaele Salerno, director and chief science officer at Meteo Expert (formerly the Epson Meteo centre) and professor of meteorology at the University of Milan. The scientist explains that a comparison with 2003 – when Europe was hit by a massive heatwave – already shows a deviation from average temperatures (defined as an anomaly exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius) for the month of June 2026, pending the finalised data for July, which is already showing the same trend, and for August, which looks set to repeat the record-breaking heat. Salerno emphasises that what causes the most ‘discomfort’, particularly in ‘cities’, is the anomaly in ‘minimum’ temperatures rather than ‘maximum’ temperatures, when nights see temperatures above 25–26 degrees Celsius.