In Sicily, the heatwave is expected to intensify: temperatures in the inland areas are expected to reach 47 degrees.

Last Updated: July 23, 2023

In Sicilia destinata a crescere l’ondata di calore: nelle aree interne si arriverà ai 47 gradi

#Palermo
The alarm is no longer just a health concern, but also an economic one, as the high temperatures brought by Caronte or Caronte bis, the African anticyclone parked in Sicily for days, have already caused a 30% decrease in milk production for cows stressed by the heat (Coldiretti data), as well as significant damage to vineyards in Trapani and Palermo, with a predicted 40% loss for the next harvest (Cia estimates). And even though the Sicilian record of around 49 degrees reached in Syracuse in 2021 has not been surpassed, the Sias, the regional agrometeorological information service, does not rule out temperatures up to 47 degrees in the Enna and Etna areas in the next few hours, after the peaks recorded between Agrigento and Caltanissetta. But the real problem, stresses Giulio Betti, meteorologist and climatologist from Cnr-Consorzio Lamma, “is not so much the level – definitely exceptional – that the mercury column has reached or will reach: the problem is the persistence of this heatwave. Because, unlike a few years ago, the summer anticyclone that usually passes over the island no longer lasts two or three days, but weeks.”

“Why all this time? Has the nature of the phenomenon changed?”

“It is always the same mass of hot air of subtropical-desert origin, which sometimes moves more towards Central-Northern Italy, while other times it focuses mainly on the Mediterranean, therefore the South. The problem is that, in recent times, the amount of excess heat determined by the ongoing climate changes is so high that it is no longer balanced by an equally intense and lasting cold air mass. In other words, the blanket of hot air is increasingly extensive, while the blanket of cold air, decidedly shorter, struggles to descend towards southern latitudes and counteract the anticyclones. It is an unequal struggle.”

“So, what can we expect in Sicily in the next few hours?”

“Unfortunately, the first days of the coming week will be scorching: until July 26th, due to western downward winds, temperatures will exceed 40 degrees, especially in the central and eastern areas of the island, with severe peaks in Catania. However, this will be the peak of this endless heatwave, because starting from Wednesday, the heat will start to decrease, like in the rest of Italy.”

“With what consequences? Will this transition cause the same storms recorded in the North last Thursday?”

“No, no storms, in fact, it won’t even rain in Sicily. But even though that won’t be the case, it should be noted that any rapid change of air mass, from hot to cold, can be accompanied by extreme phenomena.”

“When you say that July 26th will be the end of the heatwave, do you mean for the whole summer? Will the peaks we have reached become a memory?”

“In a planet not afflicted by global warming, I would venture to say that we have reached the peak of summer heat. But given the times, we cannot exclude a new rise in temperatures from now until the end of the season. What is certain is that Sicily has quickly transitioned from an exceptionally hot and humid spring – an ideal situation for the growth of mushrooms in crops – to a torrid climate: the worst possible combination for vegetation and the agricultural sector.”

“Will it get worse in the coming years?”

“At present, there are no robust scientific elements to support the contrary. On the contrary, all available indicators tell us that these heatwaves will be increasingly long-lasting and significant.”