Italy’s Warm Winter: What Will Summer Be Like?

Italy, along with much of Europe, has just gotten through the hottest winter in years – in January some regions were recording temperatures in the 70s. If you’ve been to Italy (especially the center and south) in the summer, you know it’s hot enough already – what will it be like this year? A few recent articles in the news discuss the recent weather:

• Sicily, routinely hotter than much of the rest of Italy, is in danger of drying up according to this article.
• There’s a looming water emergency, says Italy’s Environment Minister, which was discussed on World Water Day.
• The weather isn’t 100% hot, though – all of a sudden, it looks like winter might be back!

Of course, if summer is the only time you can travel, don’t let potentially hot weather stop you! You can beat the heat in many ways, including visiting air-conditioned museums or old stone churches (usually quite cool) during the middle part of the day and making sure you get any outdoor activities out of the way early in the morning. In Rome, you’ll be able to take advantage of the city’s drinking water fountains which percolate fresh, cold water all day long (by plugging the hole in the center you can also form a spout by which you can fill your water bottle, too!). There’s even a drinking fountain thoughtfully placed in the nearly shade-free Roman Forum.

Yes, it’ll probably be hot – but trust me, you won’t be suffering alone.