ROME, ITALY / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Italy experienced its hottest summer since 1950, with the country’s average temperature reaching 24.3 degrees Celsius. The National Research Council’s Institute for Bioeconomy reported that this figure surpassed the previous summer record set in 2003, which had an average of 23.6 degrees Celsius across Italy. The measurement, covering June through August, is based on temperatures taken two metres above ground level. This finding places 2026 at the top of Italy’s 76-year temperature record.
The hottest month was August, which had an average temperature of 25.6 degrees Celsius nationwide. This exceeded the August average of 1951-1980 by 5.2 degrees. It also topped the August norm for 1991-2020 by 3.5 degrees. The Institute for Bioeconomy of the National Research Council noted that August 2026 broke previous monthly records of 24.6 degrees in 2024 and 24.0 degrees in 2017. The climate dataset used for this analysis is ECMWF’s ERA5-Land.
Both July and August 2026 ranked as the hottest months on record within the dataset, according to the institute’s heat maps. This record followed an exceptionally warm spring, when Italy’s national average temperature reached 12.1 degrees Celsius. The same temperature was recorded for spring 2024, matching the seasonal record. From January through August, each month in 2026 was warmer than the same month in 2025, extending Italy’s elevated temperatures across much of the year.
August Sets New Temperature Records
During the first eight months of 2026, temperature anomalies were widespread across much of Italy. About 70% of the country experienced anomalies above 1 degree Celsius, while approximately 40% saw anomalies exceeding 2 degrees. The most significant anomalies appeared in the northwestern plains and along the Apennines, including large areas of farmland. Elevated temperatures and drought conditions impacted some agricultural regions during this period. Major cities like Rome, Florence, and Turin also faced repeated heatwaves in June, July, and August.
The record is based on ERA5-Land data from ECMWF, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This dataset provides land-surface climate data dating back to 1950. Researchers used this data to compare temperatures across Italy over the full period. Italy’s summer average of 24.3 degrees was 0.7 degrees higher than the 2003 benchmark. August’s 25.6-degree reading also surpassed the 2024 monthly record by 1.0 degree. All measurements refer to air temperature at two metres above the ground surface.
Widespread Heatwaves Mark Italy’s Summer 2026
The broader Mediterranean region also faced extraordinary heat during summer 2026. An independent analysis linked to Italy’s National Research Council revealed that sea-surface temperatures in the Mediterranean averaged around 27 degrees Celsius in July, the highest July average since 1993. It also found that 79% of the Mediterranean experienced at least one intense marine heatwave during this period. These marine temperature measurements are separate from the land-based temperature series used to establish Italy’s national summer record.
Italy’s record-breaking summer coincided with widespread heat across Europe. Climate assessments show the continent as the world’s fastest-warming region in recent decades. Droughts and wildfires impacted many parts of Europe during 2026. Italy experienced months of above-average temperatures, including its hottest July and August in the dataset. The national figures confirm that summer 2026 was Italy’s hottest meteorological summer since the ERA5-Land series began in 1950.