CNR: Summer 2026 is the hottest ever recorded in Italy, with data setting new records.

The Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the CNR (ISAC-CNR) has released the definitive data for the summer of 2026, certifying it as the hottest ever recorded in Italy. The national average temperature was 24.3°C at two meters above ground, surpassing the previous record from 2003 (23.6°C). The month of August was particularly torrid, with an average of 25.6°C, +3.5°C above the 1991-2020 thirty-year average.

The thermal anomaly was widespread: +3.2°C in the North, +3.6°C in the Center, and +3.7°C in the South and Islands. Also causing strong concern is the temperature of the Italian seas, which reached 30°C. This exceptional accumulation of heat represents a potential "powder keg" for the autumn season, increasing the risk of extreme meteorological phenomena such as cloudbursts, flash floods, and Mediterranean cyclones.

The record of the summer of 2026 fits into a trend of global warming that is transforming the Mediterranean basin into a "hotspot," a particularly vulnerable area. The situation has progressively worsened over the course of the 21st century, with increasingly intense and frequent heatwaves. The previous record belonged to the summer of 2003, a year that had already marked a turning point in the perception of climate risk in Europe.

The phenomenon is driven by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which trap heat. Subtropical anticyclones, masses of warm and stable air, have become more persistent and powerful, pushing temperatures well above historical averages. This not only causes discomfort but has concrete consequences: water stress for agriculture, health risks, especially for the elderly, and increased energy consumption for cooling. The thermal energy accumulated in the seas, as confirmed by data from the CNR, acts as a risk multiplier for the following season, making extreme weather events in autumn more likely and severe.