Country guide
Italy weather by month
For Italy, May and September offer the clearest balance for city breaks, while summer is the better fit for beach holidays. Average daytime temperatures rise from 21°C in May to 26°C in June, then ease to 24°C in September. The catch is that pleasant air does not always mean warm swimming water, especially in spring. Location matters too: Sicily is the warmest year-round option, while Lake Como sits at the cooler end.
- Hottest month
- 28.7°CAugust
- Coolest month
- 10.2°CJanuary
- Warmest sea
- 26.1°CAugust
- Destinations tracked
- 16warmest: Sicily
Italy, month by month
A little perspective
Italy through the year
Country figures are the mean of the 16 destinations listed below; individual resorts can differ by several degrees.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.2°C | 4.2°C | 13.8°C | 4.2 | 78 | 9 | 0% |
| February | 11.1°C | 4.3°C | 13.0°C | 5.0 | 74 | 9 | 0% |
| March | 14.1°C | 6.5°C | 13.3°C | 5.6 | 79 | 9 | 0% |
| April | 17.2°C | 9.4°C | 14.9°C | 6.3 | 83 | 11 | 1% |
| May | 21.4°C | 13.5°C | 18.3°C | 7.4 | 75 | 9 | 13% |
| Junebest | 25.7°C | 17.6°C | 22.3°C | 9.4 | 56 | 7 | 56% |
| Julybest | 28.4°C | 20.3°C | 25.1°C | 10.9 | 41 | 6 | 88% |
| Augustbest | 28.7°C | 20.8°C | 26.1°C | 9.8 | 52 | 6 | 89% |
| September | 24.2°C | 17.2°C | 24.1°C | 7.1 | 94 | 9 | 40% |
| October | 19.7°C | 13.5°C | 21.2°C | 5.1 | 116 | 10 | 5% |
| November | 14.9°C | 9.3°C | 18.3°C | 3.9 | 135 | 12 | 0% |
| December | 11.0°C | 5.5°C | 15.6°C | 4.0 | 96 | 10 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
When to go to Italy
Daytime highs average 25°C or more in June, July, August. The sea reaches a swimmable 22°C from June to September. Winter (December to February) averages 11°C by day - cool, closer to a British spring. November is the wettest month (135 mm) and July the driest (41 mm).
Destinations in Italy
Each has a 12-month table; our most searched places have month-by-month detail pages.
| Destination | Hottest month | Coolest month | Months 25°C+ | Sea (warmest) | Flight from London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sicily | August 32°C | January 14°C | 4 | 26°C | 3 h 12 min |
| Rome | August 31°C | January 12°C | 4 | 26°C | 2 h 30 min |
| Sardinia | August 30°C | January 13°C | 4 | 25°C | 2 h 24 min |
| Amalfi Coast | August 28°C | January 12°C | 2 | 26°C | 2 h 48 min |
| Sorrento | August 28°C | January 12°C | 2 | 26°C | 2 h 48 min |
| Venice | August 27°C | January 7°C | 2 | 26°C | 2 h 12 min |
| Puglia | August 29°C | January 12°C | 4 | 26°C | 2 h 54 min |
| Naples | August 30°C | January 12°C | 4 | 26°C | 2 h 42 min |
| Lake Garda | July 28°C | January 7°C | 3 | - | 2 h |
| Milan | July 29°C | January 7°C | 3 | - | 1 h 54 min |
| Florence | August 30°C | January 9°C | 3 | - | 2 h 12 min |
| Verona | July 29°C | January 7°C | 3 | - | 2 h 6 min |
| Positanoin Amalfi Coast | August 27°C | January 12°C | 2 | 26°C | 2 h 48 min |
| Lake Como | July 27°C | January 7°C | 2 | - | 1 h 54 min |
| Lido di Jesolo | August 28°C | January 7°C | 3 | 26°C | 2 h 12 min |
| Taorminain Sicily | August 28°C | January 12°C | 2 | 26°C | 3 h 6 min |
Warmest place in Italy each month
| Month | Warmest destination | Day | Coolest destination | Day | Warmest sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Sicily | 14°C | Milan | 7°C | Sicily 15°C |
| February | Sicily | 15°C | Venice | 9°C | Sicily 15°C |
| March | Sicily | 17°C | Venice | 12°C | Sicily 15°C |
| April | Sicily | 19°C | Taormina | 16°C | Sicily 16°C |
| May | Sicily | 24°C | Positano | 20°C | Naples 19°C |
| June | Sicily | 29°C | Positano | 24°C | Venice 23°C |
| July | Sicily | 32°C | Positano | 27°C | Naples 26°C |
| August | Sicily | 32°C | Lake Como | 27°C | Sicily 26°C |
| September | Sicily | 28°C | Lake Como | 22°C | Sicily 25°C |
| October | Sicily | 23°C | Lake Como | 17°C | Taormina 23°C |
| November | Sicily | 19°C | Milan | 11°C | Sicily 20°C |
| December | Sicily | 15°C | Milan | 7°C | Sorrento 17°C |
Winter to spring: dress for the evenings
Winter suits travellers who prefer cooler days to beach weather. January and February average daytime temperatures of 10°C and 11°C, with nights at 4°C, so a warm coat matters after dark. March reaches 14°C by day, but April's 17°C makes outdoor city time more comfortable. April also has 11 rain days, so warmer weather is not a promise of dry weather. May is a stronger all-round choice for walking, with 21°C days and 13°C nights: take lighter clothes, a layer and a waterproof. The cooling pattern returns in November and December, when daytime averages fall to 15°C and 11°C respectively. Plan winter visits around cool conditions rather than swimming expectations.
Summer to autumn: choose between heat and warmer seas
June is a useful beach compromise: daytime temperatures average 26°C and the sea reaches 22°C, without the higher daytime averages of July and August. July brings 28°C days, while August reaches 29°C with a sea temperature of 26°C. These months suit travellers who prioritise swimming, but city walking is better planned away from midday, with lighter plans during the hottest part of the day. September keeps much of the swimming appeal, with both air and sea averaging 24°C, though rain days rise to 9. October can still suit a milder coastal break, with 20°C days and a 21°C sea, but its 10 rain days make flexible plans more important.
Where to go: Sicily versus the cooler lake end
Sicily is Italy's warmest destination year-round, with an average daytime temperature of 22°C; Lake Como is the coolest at 17°C. That makes Sicily the stronger starting point if warmth is your main priority, while Lake Como is worth considering if you prefer a cooler setting. These are year-round figures, not temperatures to expect on every visit, so season still matters. For city-focused trips, May and September offer a more comfortable balance than the hottest summer months. For a beach-focused trip, put more weight on sea temperature: September's sea is warmer than May's, despite both months offering daytime conditions suitable for spending time outdoors.
A little more detail
Italy weather FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
When is the best time to visit Italy?
Weighing warmth, low rainfall and sunshine across 16 destinations, the best months for Italy are July, August, June. August is the hottest month (average high 28.7°C) and January the coolest (10.2°C).
How many months is Italy over 25°C?
3 months average a daytime high of 25°C or more across our Italy destinations.
Which is the hottest place in Italy?
Over the year, Sicily has the highest average daytime temperature of the 16 Italy destinations we track (22.2°C averaged across all months).
When is the sea warmest in Italy?
August has the warmest average sea temperature at 26°C, followed by July at 25°C. September remains a good swimming option at 24°C, with cooler daytime air than August. May's 18°C sea is a different proposition, even when the weather feels pleasant on land.
Which months are best for an Italian city break?
May and September are sensible choices, with average daytime temperatures of 21°C and 24°C. October is another option if you prefer milder walking weather at 20°C, but allow for rain. July and August suit travellers more comfortable with heat and midday breaks.
Is Italy warm enough for a winter holiday?
For a trip built around walking rather than swimming, winter can work if you pack for the cold. January averages 10°C by day and 4°C at night. Sicily is the warmest destination year-round, but that does not mean summer-like conditions in winter.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid), 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at 16 destination points.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C