Climate zones in Italy, 1991 to 2020
Share of Italy's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 475,508 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 299,272 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 86%, D (cold (continental)) 11%, E (polar) 2.2%, B (arid) 0.8%.
Italy has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Csa (hot-summer mediterranean), covers only 42% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Cfa (29%) and Cfb (8.9%). 7 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, hot-summer mediterranean means dry, hot summers and mild, wetter winters. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 29% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Csa (hot-summer mediterranean).
How Italy's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 30% | 6% | Csa +8.5 percentage points | Csb -7.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 20% | 4.2% | Csa +6.3 percentage points | Cfb -4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 29% | 7.2% | Csa +10.9 percentage points | Cfb -6.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 42% | 15% | Csa +15.1 percentage points | Cfb -8.3 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 34% | 42% | 49% | 53% | 58% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 22% | 29% | 31% | 29% | 27% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 14% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 8.4% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 6.5% | 5.7% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 13% | 5.8% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 4.1% | 4.5% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 1.6% |
| ET Tundra | 3.9% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.5% | 0.1% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.2% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | 1.2% | 2.6% | 7.2% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Italy and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Milan | Cfa Humid subtropical | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Naples | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Turin | Cfa Humid subtropical | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Palermo | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in Italy
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Csa. See data sources and licences.