Sunday brings thunderstorms to Central and Northern Italy due to the passage of a storm front moving down from Northern Europe, while the South remains sunny with the exception of Campania. A rise in temperatures is expected for the coming week, with the "fourth heatwave of the summer." This is indicated by forecasts from Mattia Gussoni, meteorologist at iLMeteo.it. The storms are being caused by the interaction between unstable air currents and the very hot and humid air masses sitting over the Mediterranean after weeks of temperatures consistently above seasonal averages. The areas most at risk of intense rainfall are Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, eastern Liguria, northern Tuscany and Lazio.
As early as Monday, a different situation is expected, with the advance of a vast high-pressure system of subtropical origin that will push from North Africa towards Europe and which, Gussoni notes, will give rise to the fourth heatwave of summer 2026. Extreme atmospheric stability is forecast, with sunshine dominating across almost all regions and a marked and widespread rise in temperatures, "with values set to return to peaks of up to 38-40°C in many cities across Central and Northern Italy."
Intense storms in Tuscany, couple rescued after being trapped in car in Prato
Severe thunderstorms struck Tuscany — where an orange weather alert has been in place since midnight — after the expected weather system moved in overnight from the northwest. Significant wind gusts were recorded over the Apuan Alps and the Apennines as far as the Pistoiese range. Intense rainfall hit the Garfagnana area and the Serchio valley this morning. A cloudburst struck Borgo a Mozzano (Lucca) with 87mm of rain falling in under an hour, 75mm/h in the narrow gorge of Fabbriche di Vergemoli, and over 60mm/h in Fornovolasco (Lucca), another area at hydrogeological risk. Some 3,400 lightning strikes were recorded over the area. The storms then moved towards the Pistoia, Prato and Florence area, with the weather system subsequently expected to reach Arezzo.
This morning's severe thunderstorms in Tuscany also caused flooding in the province of Florence, particularly in Calenzano and Fucecchio, while the Mugello area reported the usual fallen trees. The emergency operations centre of the Civil Protection of the Metropolitan City of Florence and the prefecture reported that in Borgo San Lorenzo rainfall reached 60mm in one hour, and 46mm/h in Vaglia. Following the orange alert, a decision was made the previous evening to cancel the dawn concert by Vittorio Nocenzi (scheduled for 4:45 a.m.), which had been planned at the Medici Park of Pratolino, near Vaglia, and did not take place. Wind gusts lashed Florence from the northeast. Rainfall also affected the province of Pisa.
Regarding the thunderstorms that have been discharging over Tuscany since the night, the Region reports that "the weather forecasts issued yesterday by the regional functional centre have been met. During the night there was heavy rainfall in every part of the Region, but the phenomena have been easing since the early hours of this morning, Sunday." Tuscany is under an orange weather alert until 2 p.m. Precipitation is rapidly moving towards the provinces of Arezzo, Siena and Grosseto, after hitting those of Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Florence. The events could cause landslides, but "at the moment no particular movements are being reported," says regional civil protection. "The sky remains unsettled with showers and thunderstorms spreading during the morning from the north-central areas to most of the region. Greater variability from late morning with more scattered and intermittent phenomena. A further improvement is expected in the evening." Temperatures are falling noticeably. Seas are rough. For tomorrow, Monday 27 July, weather will remain unstable with possible showers on the coast until the early morning hours and in the afternoon over the Apennine ridges. As for temperatures, minimum values will be steady or locally rising, while maximum values will increase especially inland, but with readings within normal range (and peaks of 30-32°C). Seas will be rough.
Rescue operations were carried out for people trapped in flooding in Prato during the severe weather event, which forced the Municipality to close several roads and underpasses. A couple became trapped by water in their car in Tavola, on Via dei Fossi, and firefighters were required to bring them to safety. Two elderly people, one of whom had mobility problems, were assisted in Via del Leone. Another elderly woman was rescued in Via della Polla. Power is out in several locations. A family with a newborn, left without electricity, called for help on Via Anna Banti. Flooding on Via Pollative saw water rise by one metre, with municipal civil protection intervening to help residents. Flooded streets have been reported in the neighbourhoods of Iolo, Paperino, San Giorgio a Colonica and Castelnuovo. The Municipal Operations Centre (COC) is managing 42 still-open interventions relating to flooding and problems with essential services (in particular, power outages). The underpass on Via Ciulli, near the hospital, and the one on Viale Leonardo da Vinci have also been closed. Several roads where large amounts of water have accumulated and the hydrogeological fabric is saturated (sewers, ditches and streams) have been closed to traffic; vehicles cannot circulate on these roads and access has been blocked off.
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