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August was the hottest month of the year, with an average temperature of 25.6 C, up 5.2 C from the 1951-1980 average and 3.5 C above the 1991-2020 norm, according to the public body. The figures are based on readings taken two metres above ground level.
"The average of 25.6 degrees Celsius recorded in August 2026 exceeds the previous records of 24.6 C in 2024 and 24.0 C reached in August 2017," CNR-IBE researcher Lorenzo Arcidiaco said.
Arcidiaco said the data pointed to 2026 ending as Italy's hottest year since the data he worked on was first collected in 1950, with July and August both ranking as the warmest on record.
The CNR is Italy's largest public research institution.
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Hazards
Heatwave and Extreme Heat
Country and region
Italy