Climate, extreme weather events increase in Italy: 110 since the beginning of the year
Extreme events are up by 31% compared to the same period in 2024. Among the most frequent are flooding from heavy rain, wind damage and river flooding
2' min read
2' min read
The climate crisis is also running fast in this 2025. In Italy from the beginning of the year to mid-May, 110 events were recorded by Legambiente's Climate City Observatory, a 31% increase over the same period in 2024 (84 events). Among the most frequent weather events since the beginning of the year: flooding from heavy rain (34), wind damage (23) and river flooding (14). These data confirm the inadequacy of current policies on mitigation and adaptation and make a change of pace urgent.
This was underlined by more than 300 young activists of Legambiente who created a human chain on the beach of the Oasi Dunale di Paestum (SA) to launch a clear and unequivocal message: 'an immediate and concrete response is needed from the Meloni government and the Regions. Stop fossils, Start renewables'. A symbolic action, promoted in the framework of Legambiente's Youth Climate Meeting 2025.
In order to achieve the European goal of climate neutrality by 2050 - and the intermediate steps to 2030 envisaged by the Green Deal and the 'Fit for 55' package - it is indispensable to rapidly enhance the development of renewable energies, storage and grids by removing authorisation barriers, fostering public and private investments, and promoting integrated and inclusive energy planning.
"For the young activists of our association, the energy transition is a powerful lever of change for communities and for the Planet: it means more jobs in green sectors, lower bills for families and businesses, but also more autonomy from abroad and therefore less co-responsibility for international tensions and wars," explains Stefano Ciafani, president of Legambiente.
"All this will only be possible through the construction of many large renewable energy plants, which are unbelievably opposed in the territory, the spread of energy communities, efficiency policies, and technological innovation in all production sectors. It is up to the national government, the regions, the business world and trade unions, and civil society organisations to be able to take up this challenge to free themselves from the dictatorship of gas, oil, and coal".
