Italy recorded its hottest summer since 1950 in 2026, with an average temperature of 24.3°C.

Italy recorded its hottest summer since 1950 in 2026, with an average temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius, according to the Institute of Bioeconomics at the National Research Council (CNR-IBE). The data confirm the intensification of heatwaves and drought in Europe, the fastest-warming continent in the world.

August was the hottest month of the year, with an average temperature of 25.6°C. The figure was 5.2°C above the 1951–1980 average and 3.5°C above the average for the 1991–2020 period.

The measurements were taken two metres above the ground.

The average August temperature surpassed previous records of 24.6°C in 2024 and 24°C in 2017.

Researcher Lorenzo Arcidiaco estimates that 2026 could be Italy’s hottest year since 1950, after both July and August set temperature records.

The areas most affected were the northwestern plains and regions along the Apennine Mountains, which are important for agriculture. Heat and a lack of rainfall put pressure on farms, while Rome, Florence and Turin experienced repeated heatwaves during the summer months. Drought and wildfires have become increasingly serious problems in several European regions.