ROME, ITALY / RankWire.AI / – The National Research Council’s Institute for Bioeconomy reports that Italy experienced its hottest summer since 1950 in 2026, with a national average temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius. This figure surpasses the previous summer record set in 2003, which averaged 23.6 degrees across the country. The calculation for 2026 includes June through August, based on temperature readings taken two metres above ground level. This result places the summer of 2026 at the top of Italy’s 76-year temperature record series.
August stood out as the peak month for heat. The country’s average temperature for August reached 25.6 degrees Celsius, surpassing the 1951-1980 average for that month by 5.2 degrees. It was also 3.5 degrees higher than the August norm for 1991-2020. According to the Institute for Bioeconomy, August 2026 broke previous monthly highs of 24.6 degrees in 2024 and 24.0 degrees in 2017. The climate dataset used for Italy’s temperature analysis is ECMWF’s ERA5-Land.
Both July and August 2026 are now recorded as the hottest months on the dataset, as confirmed by the institute’s heat maps. This follows a record-breaking spring, which saw Italy’s national average temperature reach 12.1 degrees Celsius. Spring 2024 also matched that seasonal high. Throughout 2026, every month from January to August was warmer than the same months in 2025, extending Italy’s period of elevated temperatures across most of the year.
August Surpasses Old Temperature Records
Temperature anomalies affected much of Italy during the first eight months of 2026. Around 70% of the country’s territory recorded anomalies above 1 degree Celsius, with roughly 40% exceeding 2 degrees. The most intense anomalies appeared in the northwestern plains and regions along the Apennines, which include extensive cultivated lands. The increased heat and drought conditions impacted some agricultural areas. Major cities like Rome, Florence, and Turin also faced repeated heatwaves during June, July, and August.
The record is based on ERA5-Land data from ECMWF, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. This dataset offers land-surface climate information dating back to 1950. Researchers utilized this data to compare temperatures across Italy over the full period. Italy’s summer average of 24.3 degrees was 0.7 degrees above the 2003 record. August’s 25.6-degree reading surpassed the 2024 monthly high by 1.0 degree. These measurements refer to air temperature recorded at two metres above the ground surface.
Climate Data Indicates Extensive Heat Across Italy
The broader Mediterranean region also experienced notable heat during the summer of 2026. An independent analysis linked to Italy’s National Research Council found that sea-surface temperatures in the Mediterranean averaged about 27 degrees Celsius in July, marking the highest July average since 1993. The same analysis revealed that 79% of the Mediterranean Sea experienced at least one intense marine heatwave. These marine measurements are separate from the land-based temperature series used to establish Italy’s national summer record.
Italy’s record summer occurred amid widespread heat across Europe. Climate assessments indicate the continent is the world’s fastest-warming region in recent decades. During the 2026 summer, droughts and wildfires affected various parts of Europe. In Italy, the season followed months of higher-than-previous-year temperatures, including the hottest July and August in the climate dataset. The figures confirm that summer 2026 was Italy’s most scorching meteorological summer since the ERA5-Land data series began in 1950.