Anyone who was in Italy throughout this year’s long, hot summer may suspect that heatwaves are becoming a more frequent occurrence.
And residents of the lagoon city of Venice will no doubt be able to attest to the devastating impact of serious floods, as well as to the fact that such events appear to be becoming increasingly frequent.
In fact, a new study by the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) has confirmed that the incidence rate of both heatwaves and floods in Italy has increased significantly - and is only expected to keep rising.
READ ALSO: From Venice to Mont Blanc, how is the climate crisis affecting Italy?
The report stated that average temperatures have risen overall in the last 30 years and continue to rise in all cities.
“Risks associated with climate change affect all Italian regions and their economic sectors,” the study’s authors stated. “Despite contrasts, with different areas being affected in different ways, there are no regions that can be considered immune from climate risks.”
The report found that the southern city of Naples had experienced the biggest increase in the frequency and severity of heatwaves.
The southern city has in recent years reported an average of 50 more intensely hot days per year than it did at the beginning of the century.
The same figure for Milan was +30 days, Turin +29 and Rome +28.
Although extreme weather events have always existed and Italy is no stranger to intense heat, numerous studies have found that the climate crisis is making heatwaves more frequent and more dangerous.
Meanwhile, in Venice, over the last 150 years the relative water level of the city has risen by more than 30 centimeters, and the critical threshold has been exceeded 40 times in the last 10 years, the CMCC found..
The report also warned that the city of Bologna could expect to see an increase in the intensity and frequency of flooding in the future.
READ ALSO: Floods in Italy: What to do when there's a weather warning
It added that “all scenarios” showed an increased risk of heatwaves and urban flooding in the coming years.
In 2019, Rome was found to be the city in Europe most at risk of flooding, according to water monitoring authorities.
“There are parts of Rome that can't withstand a heavy downpour,” said the Central Apennines District Basin Authority.
Rome's soft soil and famous hills make it naturally vulnerable to erosion and mudslides, while the authority said poorly maintained sewers, waste dumping and vegetation blocking the course of the Tiber and Aniene rivers were contributing to the flood risk.
Previous studies have also found that Rome suffered the highest number of extreme weather events overall in recent years.
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