Northern Italy sees rising supercell thunderstorm activity

Supercell thunderstorms, the most violent summer storms, develop when warm, humid air over the Po Plain meets cooler, windy air from the Atlantic. The resulting wind shear and strong temperature contrast fuel rotating updrafts that can persist for hours, producing downbursts, hail and intense rain. Northern Italian regions—including Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli‑Venezia Giulia, Emilia‑Romagna and Piedmont—are especially prone because the flat plain traps heat while occasional Atlantic disturbances inject cooler air.

A weather analysis for the first half of July predicts generally sunny, hot conditions across Lombardy, but with an increasingly humid and unstable air mass moving in from mid‑week. While early July days will remain mostly clear, the forecast expects growing cloud cover and isolated to moderate heat‑driven thunderstorms over the Alps, Pre‑Alps and nearby plains from Wednesday onward, with a chance of rain spilling into lower‑lying areas. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid‑30s °C, accompanied by strong discomfort from humidity.