In Italy in the last 11 years 811 extreme weather events. Rome the worst hit big city
The survey comes just days before the start of the COP30 climate conference in Brazil and ahead of the second edition of 'Climate Pride', the national climate mobilisation on 15 November in the capital
Key points
- The impacts on the most affected cities and urban areas
- Municipalities' response to the climate crisis
- Ten municipalities between 50,000 and 150,000 most affected by extreme weather events
- Municipalities between 150,000 and 500,000
- The six municipalities with more than 500,000 inhabitants
- The Great Forgotten
In Italy, the climate crisis runs fast, while cities struggle to find remedies quickly and effectively. In the Peninsula over the last 11 years - from 2015 to September 2025 - there have been 811 extreme weather events, of which 97 in 2025 (January-September), recorded in 136 municipalities with over 50,000 inhabitants, where a total of 18.6 million people live, or 31.5% of the Italian population. Yet, underlines Legambiente in the report "CittàClima. Special governance for climate adaptation in urban areas', only 39.7% of the municipalities in question have implemented a plan or strategy for adapting to climate change. The survey comes just days before the launch of the COP30 on climate in Brazil and ahead of the second edition of 'Climate Pride', the national climate mobilisation on 15 November in Rome. And it focuses on the impacts that the climate crisis is having in municipalities with over 50,000 inhabitants and relaunches its proposals for more resilient cities.
The impacts on cities and urban areas most affected
Flooding from heavy rain (371 events), wind gusts and whirlwinds (167) and river flooding (60) are the extreme weather events that have been repeated the most in the last 11 years. Also of concern are the damage to infrastructure, 55 caused mostly by heavy rain and record temperatures with impacts mainly on the transport network, and then the 33 hailstorm damage. Those paying the heaviest price are mainly cities with between 50 and 150 thousand inhabitants. Here, in recent years, the greatest number of extreme weather events has been concentrated, a good 48% of the total (811), and among the worst hit cities are Agrigento (28), Ancona (14), Fiumicino (11), Forlì (11) and Como (11). The other urban areas are not doing well either: out of 811 extreme weather events, 28% were recorded in large cities (with over 500,000 inhabitants) and 23% in municipalities of between 150,000 and 500,000 inhabitants. Among the latter, the worst hit is Bari with 33 cases, followed by Bologna (18), Florence (14) and Catania (13). Double black jersey, on the other hand, for Rome, which achieves a sad record: it is the municipality with the most events recorded from 2015 to the end of September 2025, counting as many as 93, and among the large cities it is the most affected followed by Milan with 40 events of which 16 floods, Genoa (36), Palermo (32), Naples (20) and Turin (13). Naples is the only one among the 'big sisters' not to have adopted a plan or strategy against climate change. Like her, Bari, Reggio Calabria, Prato, Perugia, among municipalities with 150 thousand to 500 thousand inhabitants, and then Fiumicino, Como, Lamezia Terme, Massa, Potenza among municipalities with 50 thousand to 150 thousand inhabitants.
The municipalities' response to the climate crisis
In its report, Legambiente also analyses the response of municipalities to the climate crisis, which travels at different speeds in terms of climate adaptation plans or strategies. Black jersey to cities of between 50,000 and 150,000 inhabitants, 68% do not have a plan or strategy, only 32% (35 out of 110) have such a planning tool. The response of cities between 150 thousand and 500 thousand inhabitants is better, with 70% of municipalities (14 out of 20 cities in this bracket) having a plan or strategy. On the other hand, the large cities, those over 500 thousand inhabitants, are doing well, where in 83% of cases (5 out of 6 cities) an adaptation plan or strategy has been prepared. In addition to Bologna, Milan and Genoa, for example, are also among the large cities to adopt plans or strategies. Among the latest new entries is Rome, which approved an adaptation strategy in 2025.
The ten municipalities between 50,000 and 150,000 most affected by extreme weather events
The black jersey goes to Agrigento with 28 extreme weather events, followed by Ancona (14), with the greatest impacts being largely due to flooding from heavy rain and wind damage. They are followed in order of ranking by Forlì (11), Como (11), Fiumicino (11), Sassari (10), Lamezia Terme (9), Potenza (9), Massa (8) and Pesaro (8). It should be noted that Fiumicino has recorded 7 out of 11 storm events in the last 11 years.
Municipalities between 150,000 and 500,000
Black jersey for Bari (with 33 events), followed by Bologna (18), Florence (14), Catania (13), with a predominance of damage due to flooding and wind. Fifth place for Reggio Calabria (9), followed by Modena (9), Livorno (9), Messina (8), Prato (7), Perugia (7).
