Overview
- Civil-protection alerts were issued and heavy storms struck northern Italy on Tuesday as a Scandinavian low began pushing cooler air into the country.
- Forecasters say temperatures will fall sharply across large areas, with drops of about 5–6°C in the Centre and North and local falls up to 8–10°C, especially in Sardinia.
- Meteorologists warn that high stored heat from the prolonged African heatwave is feeding severe convective events likely to produce large hail, strong downburst winds and intense rainfall.
- The South and the large islands remain in extreme heat for now, with mid-40s°C recorded before the front arrives and the onset of storms expected there later in the week.
- Models indicate the Azores High should rebuild after the front passes, restoring more seasonable, stable summer weather though forecasts show another heat rebound is possible by the end of July.