The Italian National Research Council reported that the summer of 2026 was recorded as the hottest summer in the country since 1950.
The Italian National Research Council (CNR) examined temperature data maintained by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) since 1950. In a statement, it was noted that the average temperature across the country reached 24.3 degrees in the summer of 2026, surpassing the previous highest average temperature recorded in the summer of 2003, which was 23.6 degrees.
According to the data, temperature values were above long-term averages during the January-August period, with the highest difference occurring in August. The average temperature across the country in August was measured at 25.6 degrees, reaching the highest level seen since 1950.
'2026 COULD BE THE HOTTEST YEAR'
Lorenzo Arcidiaco, a researcher at the CNR Institute of Bioeconomy, stated that the data indicates 2026 could be the hottest year measured since 1950. Arcidiaco said, “For the first time, July and August consecutively broke temperature records. Approximately 70% of the country's land was exposed to temperatures 1 degree above seasonal norms, and 40% was exposed to temperatures 2 degrees above. The heatwaves particularly affected agricultural areas and regions struggling with drought.”
Experts reported that there may have been an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 additional deaths in the country linked to temperatures above seasonal norms.
MARMOLADA GLACIER MELTED TO RECORD LEVELS
Extreme heatwaves also led to ice loss in the Marmolada Glacier, the largest glacier in the Dolomite Mountains. A joint report published by the University of Padua, the Veneto Environmental Protection Agency, and the Italian Glaciological Foundation noted that the area covered by the glacier shrank from 92 hectares to 83 hectares within a year.
Mauro Varotto from the University of Padua highlighted that the glacier thinned by an average of 23 meters, warning, “The melting trend observed in recent years has worsened. The glacier lost 9 hectares of area in just one year. If the temperatures experienced this summer are repeated, the lifespan of the Marmolada Glacier could be reduced to about 10 years.”
A similar melting and mass loss occurred in Marmolada in 2022, where 11 climbers lost their lives following a glacier collapse after a heatwave.
