Weather in South Italy

Italy is made up of three distinct geographical areas--its north, south and central regions. Anyone visiting Italy should be aware that each of these has their own unique climates and weather conditions, which may affect your vacation. The weather in Souther Italy varies from the inland towns to the coasts, where one finds much sun, sizzling hot summers, and usually mild winters.

Calabria - Tropea

The peninsular part of Italy comprises its southernmost part. This portion of Italy is lengthy as well as mountainous and comprises  large islands like Sicily and Sardinia. This region stretches from Rimini and Genoa in the north to Brindisi and Reggio Calabria located in the south. The interiors are mountainous and the Apennines rise to a height of more than 1,800 meters or 6,000 feet.

 
Salento's beach in South Italy.

Overall Climate

When you visit the southern parts of Italy you will find a marked difference in the climate between the coastal areas and the interior parts. This difference is particularly noticeable during the winter season. Higher altitude regions are wet, cold and often experience heavy snowfall. Coastal areas that are comprised of many large towns have a typically Mediterranean climate, which means mild winters and hot, dry summers. The intensity and duration of the summer season tends to increase as you travel further south. Areas like Naples and Brindisi experience hotter summers that cities in the north and central parts of the country.

Sea Level Temperatures

When you travel from the north of Italy to the southern areas, you may not notice a large difference when it comes to sea level temperatures. The peninsular region of the east coast is not as wet as the western coast of Italy. The Pescara region's east coast often experience cold and gusty winds called bora, especially towards the north. These ice cold winds are very strong and originate in the central parts of Europe. These winds typically blow in winter and spring, but are not as strong as found in central Italian places like Trieste.

Basilicata - Matera

Changeable Weather

The entire region comprising the peninsular parts of Italy and islands like Sardinia and Sicily have highly unpredictable weather, especially in the spring, autumn and winter. This is in sharp contrast to the rather predictable hot days of the summer months. A person may experience turbulent weather well into May only to have it start again in September. In the winter it is not uncommon to have intermittent warm sun as well as rainy cold.

Sicily - Taormina - Isola Bella

Extreme South Temperatures

The least amount of rainfall as well as the sunniest days are found in the southernmost parts of Italy. Places like Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia experience this kind of beautiful weather. In the summer there is an average of ten to eleven hours of sunshine every day, while in the winter there is often sunshine for an average of four to five hours a day.

If you are looking for more sun and milder temperatures then the climate of South Italy is for you. The further south you go the hotter it tends to get, especially in the dog days of summer in the months of July and August.