Italy : Climate

Italy’s northern region fits into the mid-latitude climate zone; the region has “cold winds…rolling down from the Alps and northern Europe”. The region is colder, mountainous, and higher in latitude. The mid-latitude zone also means that Northern Italy is closer to the North Pole. This region has a higher albedo because during the winter months the snow reflects the suns UV rays preventing the land from heating up. The elevation of the region can also explain the colder climate; the higher the elevation the colder the temperatures.

The southern region fits into the sub-tropical climate zone and has “hot winds arriving from the Sahara in the south”. The region is hotter, lower in latitude, and gets more sunshine. The region receives more sunlight due to the latitude allowing the land to stay warm. Heat and even sand gets carried from the Sahara due to dynamic pressure variation. Circulating wind allows the sand and the heat to get carried from the subtropical trade winds region to the mid-latitude westerlies.

Italy’s location makes it a target for powerful winds. Sometimes “Hurricane force” winds can hit Italy, they can be “75 to 90” miles per hour. In the north, cold winds get blown south toward the Mediterranean and Italy. This cold high density air hits the warm air that comes from the Adriatic Sea lifting it. As the cold air moves to the lower density air it goes through pressure gradients. The isobars in the gradients are close so the wind is faster. The cold and warm air and the pressure gradients cause the powerful winds. The mid-latitudes experience the biggest pressure gradients so they have the highest winds and part of Italy is in the Mid-latitude. Italy also has diurnal flows which are air flows between cold and warm air from the land and sea; along with the wind, thunderstorms and rain can be caused from the air masses.