ROME, ITALY / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Italy recorded its warmest summer since 1950, with an average temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius nationwide. The National Research Council’s Institute for Bioeconomy reported that this figure surpasses the previous summer record set in 2003, which had an average of 23.6 degrees Celsius across Italy. The calculation for 2026 encompasses June through August, based on temperature measurements taken two metres above ground level. This result places the summer of 2026 at the top of Italy’s 76-year temperature record series.
The peak heat was observed in August, with a national average temperature of 25.6 degrees Celsius. This value exceeds the August average of 1951-1980 by 5.2 degrees and is 3.5 degrees higher than the August norm for 1991-2020. The National Research Council’s Institute for Bioeconomy stated that August 2026 broke previous monthly records of 24.6 degrees in 2024 and 24.0 degrees in 2017. The climate dataset used for the analysis is ERA5-Land, maintained by ECMWF.
Both July and August 2026 rank as the hottest months on record in the dataset, according to the institute’s heat maps. This follows a record-breaking spring, when Italy’s national average temperature reached 12.1 degrees Celsius. Spring 2024 also recorded this temperature, matching the seasonal record. From January through August, every month in 2026 was warmer than the same month in 2025, extending Italy’s elevated temperatures over much of the year.
August Sets New Temperature Records
Throughout the first eight months of 2026, temperature anomalies spread across much of Italy. About 70% of the country experienced anomalies above 1 degree Celsius, while approximately 40% saw deviations exceeding 2 degrees. The most significant anomalies appeared in the northwestern plains and regions along the Apennines, which include extensive agricultural areas. Higher temperatures and drought conditions impacted some farming zones during this period. Cities like Rome, Florence, and Turin endured multiple heatwaves during June, July, and August.
The record relies on ERA5-Land data from ECMWF, a European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts project. This dataset provides climate information about land surfaces dating back to 1950. Researchers utilized the data to compare temperatures across Italy over the entire period. Italy’s summer average of 24.3 degrees exceeded the 2003 record by 0.7 degrees, while August’s 25.6 degrees surpassed the 2024 monthly record by 1.0 degree. These measurements correspond to air temperatures measured at two metres above the surface.
Widespread Heat Affects the Italian Peninsula and Mediterranean
The broader Mediterranean region also faced extraordinary heat during the summer of 2026. An independent analysis associated with Italy’s National Research Council indicated that sea-surface temperatures in the Mediterranean averaged about 27 degrees Celsius in July, marking the highest July average since 1993. The study revealed that 79% of the Mediterranean experienced at least one intense marine heatwave, though these marine temperature figures are separate from the land temperature record used to define Italy’s summer heat milestone.
Italy’s record-breaking summer coincided with widespread heat across Europe, which has been identified as the continent experiencing the fastest recent warming trend globally. The season was also marked by drought and wildfires in various regions. Italy saw consecutive months of higher-than-previous-year temperatures, including the hottest July and August on record in the dataset. The national figures confirm that summer 2026 is Italy’s hottest meteorological summer since the ERA5-Land data series began in 1950.