In winter, northern Italy is prone to frost
and fog, whilst the south, although warmer, tends to be wetter.
Average daytime maximum temperatures range from 7 °C (45
°F) at Venice in December to 13 °C (56 °F) in Naples
and Rome. Average number of wet days ranges from about 25 in
parts of the north to 18 near the coast. About 3-4 hours of
sunshine are expected each day.
In the spring, the 'Sirocco', a hot wind from Africa, may bring
quite high temperatures to parts of Italy, but thunderstorms
are frequent in the Italian Alps. Average daily maximum temperatures
range from about 15 °C (59 °F) in March to 23 °C
(74 °F) in May. On average, 23-25 dry days are expected
on average each month, and there are 7-10 hours of sunshine
due on average.
In summer, the area around the Alps experiences numerous thunderstorms,
and inland parts of southern Italy suffer extremely hot nights,
often making sleeping difficult. Average daytime maximum temperatures
reach about 30 °C (86 °F) throughout the summer, but
southern areas are mostly dry on average, with 29-30 dry days
expected. Between 10 and 11 hours of sunshine per day are typical.
As in the spring, the 'Sirocco' wind may well bring very high
temperatures to parts of Italy during the autumn, accompanied
by some high humidities. Daily average maximum temperatures
are still pleasantly high in September (typically 26 °C
— 79 °F), but they have fallen back to about 15 °C
(59 °F) by November. The number of dry days varies from
24 or 25 in September to about 19 in November. The daily hours
of sunshine reduces steadily from 8 hours in September to 3
or 4 in November.
Back to map
