Respite from heat Thursday, thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds expected

There will be a respite from the heat

wave baking Italy starting Thursday, with thunderstorms, hail,

and strong winds expected, one of Italy's top weathermen said

Wednesday.

A break in the heat of the last two weeks will bring a temporary

drop in temperatures, starting in the North, said Mattia

Gussoni, meteorologist at iLMeteo.it.

He said thunderstorms, hail, and gusts of wind are expected in

the North on July 1st.

"On Thursday," he emphasized, "the unstable front will rapidly

slide southward: the instability will spread, gradually

affecting the regions of central and southern Italy, finally

bringing some relief, but accompanied by a sharp and marked

deterioration in weather conditions."

The storms are being triggered by the descent of a treacherous

storm front from Northern Europe.

This cool air mass, Gussoni notes, "bursting into the

Mediterranean basin, will collide head-on with the blanket of

extreme heat that has oppressed Italy in recent weeks. Given the

enormous potential energy accumulated so far, the risk of

extreme weather events cannot be ruled out."

Once the storm front passes, from Friday, July 3rd onward, the

African anticyclone will return.

Over the following weekend, we expect a new heatwave that will

rapidly increase temperatures across much of Italy.

Day-to-day forecast:

Wednesday, July 1st. In the North: strong thunderstorms,

localized hailstorms. In the Center: sunny and intense heat.

Thunderstorms arrive in the Adriatic areas. In the South: mostly

sunny, thunderstorms in the mountains.

Thursday, July 2nd. In the North: final thunderstorms in the

Triveneto region. In the Center: strong, patchy thunderstorms.

In the South: highly unstable conditions with scattered

thunderstorms.

Friday, July 3rd. In the North: sunny and increasing heat. In

the Center: sunny, showers in southern Lazio. In the South:

irregular thunderstorms.

Outlook: new African anticyclone irruption this weekend,

increasing heat.

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