Italy has been struck by extreme weather this week, with unseasonable heat in Rome, floods in Venice and strong winds fanning wildfires in the south.
After a week of sweltering heat, temperatures in Rome hit a record 27.1 C (80.8 F) on Tuesday, making it the hottest start to November since records began and 10 degrees above the average.
The heatwave is due to a low-pressure system over the Mediterranean, which is dragging in the hot, dry air that originated over the Sahara desert. The resulting warm southerly winds are known as the Sirocco. The hot winds from North Africa have caused problems on Sicily, fanning five forest fires on the island and shattering windows in the central courthouse of Palermo.
The unusually hot weather has also been accompanied in some places by fierce rainstorms and strong winds. Italy’s other main Mediterranean island of Sardinia was hit by two days of interrupted rainstorms that sparked serious traffic problems. Luqa, on nearby Malta, was practically swimming with the fishes after 63 mm (2.5 inches) of rain fell in just 12 hours.
Meanwhile Italy’s city of romance, Venice, spent a seventh day struggling against high water levels on Tuesday, as floods covered 80% of the lagoon city. The water levels will drop over the next few days, according to officials.
The low pressure system will gradually fill over the next few days, which should ease both the heat and the rainstorms.
