Italian climate, average temperatures, rainfall, hours of sunshine, regional climate italy, weather forecasts italy, climate variations italy
Profile Menu
The Climate of Italy
Italy is a country of extremely varied landscapes and consequently experiences a similarly varied climate. Between the north and south there can be a considerable difference in temperature, particularly during the winter. In Milan it could be −2°C and snowing, while at the same time 8°C in Rome and 20°C in Palermo. The differences are less extreme in the summer.
The coastal regions, where most of the large towns are located, have a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot and generally dry summers. The length and intensity of the summer dry season increases towards the south. The coastal areas throughout Italy experience largely similar conditions from north to south with mild winters and hot, dry summers. The western side of the country experiences more rain than the eastern side which is windier, especially north of Pescara where Italy is subject to the strong, Bora wind that gusts across the Adriatic from Central Europe.
In contrast to the settled days of summer, the weather throughout Italy can be very changeable in the autumn, winter and spring. This unpredictable weather can continue until the end of May and can start anytime after the beginning of September. The winter months tend to alternate between clouds and rain and warmer, sunnier weather.
Inland, throughout the peninsula, the weather is often colder and wetter with frequent snow on the mountains during the winter.
In the extreme north, the climate can drop to below freezing in the winter and rise to 30° in the summer. This is a similar climate to that of Alpine Switzerland and Austria, although the Italian side tends to experience more precipitation and also slightly warmer weather in both summer and winter. In this area, summer tends to be the rainiest season and thunderstorms are frequent in spring, summer, and autumn. Lower down, the lake area in Lombardy tends to experience the mildest winter weather and the warmest, sunniest summers. Sunshine levels here are around 3 to 4 hours a day in the winter and around 9 hours a day in the summer.
The area of the Po valley and the Padan Plain has its own distinctive climate and can experience rain at any time through the year. Although the winter months can be surprisingly cold, and can experience fog, frost and snow, the summer months can be almost as hot and sunny as southern Italy. Thunderstorms are frequent in the summer and autumn but the rain falls infrequently.
The south of the country, particularly Sardinia and Sicily, can get very hot indeed, with long periods of settled weather and continuous sunshine. During the daytime, sea breezes can lower the temperatures on the coast, but in the evening and overnight it can be extremely hot and humid, especially inland. As can be imagined, the south of Italy has the least rain and the most hours of sunshine of any other area in Italy. In Sardinia and Sicily, there is an average of 4 hours of sunshine a day during the winter and 9 hours a day in the summer.
Live weather forecast for Italy
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av day temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av night temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av day temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av night temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av day temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av night temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Days of rain |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
| Av high temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Av low temp (°C) | ||||||||||||
| Sunlight hours | ||||||||||||
| Rainfall mm |
Profile
Profile of Italy : History of Italy : The Italian Flag : Italian National Anthem : Italian Culture : Italian Geography : Climate of Italy : Earthquakes in Italy
Government : The First Republic : The Years of Lead : The Second Republic : Italian Media : Italian Education System : Italian Healthcare System : Cosa Nostra
Camorra : 'Ndrangheta : Sacra Corona : News - Sara Scazzi : News - Naples Rubbish : Silvio Berlusconi : Giotto : Carlo Levi : Giacomo Puccini
Snakes in Italy - Introduction : Snakes in Italy - Whip Snake : Theatre - Commedia del Arte : Italian Cinema
Regions
Regions of Italy : Abruzzo : Aosta Valley : Basilicata : Calabria : Campania : Emilia-Romagna : Friuli-Venezia Giulia : Lazio : Liguria : Lombardy : Marche
Molise : Piedmont : Puglia : Sardinia : Sicily : Trentino-Alto Adige : Tuscany : Umbria : Veneto
Places
Aeolian Islands : Amalfi Coast : Aosta : Argentario : Baroque Sicily : Bologna : Catanzaro : Chiantishire : Cinque Terre : Costa Smeralda : Florence : Garfagnana
Lauria : Lucca : Maratea : Maremma : Milan : Pompei : Porto Ercole : Porto Santo Stefano : Rome : Sapri : Trento : Tropea : Trieste : Turin : Tuscan Islands
Vatican City : Venice : Viareggio
Visiting Italy
Visiting Italy : Italian Airports : Getting Around Italy : Weddings in Italy : Golf in Italy : Sailing in Italy : Italian Tourist Websites : Useful Italian Phrases
Viareggio Carnival : Puccini Festival : Festival of Sant' Efisio : Venice Carnival
Living in Italy
Living in Italy : Choosing an area to live : Finding Property : Buying property in Italy : Living Legally in Italy : Registering for School : Registering for Healthcare
Italian Tax System : Italian Recipes - Passata : Motoring in Italy
Italian Food
Italian Food : Food of Abruzzo : Food of Aosta Valley : Food of Basilicata : Food of Calabria : Food of Campania : Food of Emilia-Romagna
Food of Friuli-Venezia Giulia : Food of Lazio : Food of Liguria : Food of Lombardy : Food of Marche : Food of Molise : Food of Piedmont : Food of Puglia
Food of Sardinia : Food of Sicily : Food of Trentino-Alto Adige : Food of Tuscany : Food of Umbria : Food of Veneto
