African high-pressure system to retreat: heavy thunderstorms and a 10-degree drop in temperatures from Monday

Thunderstorms, cool winds and temperatures falling by 10 degrees: the heatwave’s days are numbered. As reported by 3bmeteo.com, the African high-pressure system, which has affected Italia over the last 30 days, will begin to retreat from next week, driven by air currents arriving directly from the Arctic. Temperatures are then expected to remain around the seasonal average at least until the start of August.

“The African high-pressure system,” explains meteorologist Edoardo Ferrara, “is already beginning to weaken in the north, where localised showers or thunderstorms are forecast by Sunday, particularly in eastern Lombardy, the Triveneto region and parts of Emilia, some of which may be severe. Elsewhere, there will still be plenty of sunshine and intense heat, with highs of over 40°C in the south and on the islands; temperatures will be a few degrees lower in central Italy and generally along the coasts, but with high levels of humidity.”

“But it will be during the coming week that the African high-pressure system will actually retreat southwards, driven by cooler air masses descending directly from the Arctic,” warns Ferrara, “ however, the clash with the pre-existing very hot and humid air could lead to thunderstorms, some of which may be very intense, accompanied by hailstorms – sometimes involving large hailstones – downpours and violent gusts of wind.”

The areas to watch out for will be, in particular, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, and from Tuesday also inland Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise and northern Puglia.

‘In the second half of the week, the southern part of the peninsula will also be more heavily affected, whilst the islands, the Tyrrhenian coast and the north-west will be less directly affected.’