The year-end report presented by the Climate City Observatory of Legambiente highlights a worrying situation regarding extreme weather events in Italy over the past year, totaling 351 incidents, an increase of 485% compared to 2015.
The main negative factors characterizing these over 300 extreme events for the third consecutive year include the rise in damages caused by prolonged drought (+54.5% compared to 2023), an increase in damages from river floods (+24%), and those from urban flooding (+12%).
This year-end snapshot is provided by Legambiente’s Climate City Observatory, developed in collaboration with the Unipol Group, which lays out the numbers behind the climate crisis in Italy in 2024. It underscores how, once again, the country was unprepared, even during these last days of the year marked by heavy rains, storm surges, and strong winds. The Meloni government has performed poorly due to demonstrated inertia. Specifically, the administration has failed to implement preventive strategies and has not allocated the necessary financial resources to carry out the priority actions outlined in the PNACC, the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change, which currently remains an unfortunately empty framework. Moreover, the decree for the establishment of the National Observatory for Climate Change Adaptation has yet to be issued.
The Numbers in the Report
The year 2024 was marked by 134 cases of flooding due to heavy rainfall, 62 cases of wind damage, 46 river floods causing damage, 34 events of damage from prolonged drought, 30 cases of hail damage, 19 landslides triggered by intense rain, 9 cases of infrastructure damage, 8 storm surges, 2 impacts on cultural heritage, and 1 case of record-breaking temperatures.
Northern Italy was the most affected region with 198 extreme weather events, followed by the South with 92 and the Center with 61. Regionally, Emilia-Romagna suffered the most with 52 events, followed by Lombardy (49), Sicily (43), Veneto (41), and Piedmont (22). Among provinces, Bologna recorded the highest number of extreme weather events at 17, followed by Ravenna and Rome, each with 13, Turin with 12, and Palermo with 11. Among major cities, the capital Rome was the hardest hit, with 8 extreme weather events, followed by Genoa (7) and Milan (6).
There is growing concern about the damage extreme weather events are causing to transportation infrastructure: in 2024, 22 incidents caused damage and delays to trains and local public transport across the country.
In mountain areas, the effects of global warming are increasingly evident, impacting glaciers, which are becoming thinner and retreating, as well as ecosystems and biodiversity. In 2024, the freezing level in Piedmont rose to 5,206 meters, approaching the record set nine years ago when it reached 5,296 meters.
Statements from the National President of Legambiente
“In 2024, Italy,” declared Stefano Ciafani, National President of Legambiente, “was overwhelmed by a new wave of extreme weather events and, once again, found itself unprepared. The Meloni government, in over two years of activity, has not implemented any prevention strategies with targeted interventions, which could save 75% of the resources spent on post-emergency damage repairs. It also failed to allocate the necessary funds for the priority actions outlined in the PNACC, funds that were not even included in the recently approved budget law. We hope that in 2025, the government will take a different approach to addressing the climate crisis: more financial resources and initiatives for prevention, mitigation, and adaptation are urgently needed. It is also crucial to pass a law to halt soil consumption, an issue that has been ideologically addressed through the Agriculture Decree by banning ground-mounted photovoltaic systems, and to approve the decree simplifying the reuse of treated wastewater on agricultural lands. The real threats to Italian agriculture are the climate crisis and urban sprawl, not the European Green Deal.”
“Among the growing extreme weather phenomena,” added Andrea Minutolo, Scientific Director of Legambiente, “drought is particularly concerning, as it has repeatedly impacted Italy in recent years. A symbol of this summer is Lake Pergusa in the province of Enna, which has been reduced to little more than a puddle. The emergency in Sicily is a consequence of the Po River drought in 2022 and part of a trend linked to the evolving climate crisis, which serves as a stark warning. This is why it is crucial for the country to establish a national water management strategy that is more attentive and circular, with concrete measures to promote adaptation to climate change and immediately reduce water withdrawals while also preventing waste.”
Ranking of Regions Most Affected by Drought, Flooding, and Overflows
Regarding drought, the most affected regions were Sicily (16 events), Sardinia (9), and Basilicata (3).
In terms of flooding, Lombardy stands out with 25 extreme weather events, followed by Emilia-Romagna (22) and Sicily (15).
As for river overflows, Emilia-Romagna ranks first with 14 events, followed by Lombardy (8) and Veneto (5).
Focus on Transportation
The year 2024 was also marked by extreme weather events that increasingly impacted transportation in urban areas. Interruptions and suspensions were caused not only by heavy rain, flooding, and landslides triggered by intense precipitation but also by record-breaking temperatures and strong gusts of wind.
Among the most recent incidents were the events of October 24 in Rome, where the Cipro station on Metro Line A was closed due to flooding caused by heavy rain. A few days earlier, rail service on the Rimini–Ravenna line had been suspended due to severe weather, which flooded the tracks at Cesenatico station.
On September 5, a new overflow of the Seveso River in Milan caused train delays of up to 120 minutes between Rogoredo and Porta Vittoria stations. Tram services were also disrupted, particularly on lines 3, 19, and 31, while Metro Line M2 was closed between the Famagosta and Assago/Piazza Abbiategrasso stops.
Global Temperature Records in 2024
The year 2024 stands out for yet another record in global temperatures, as reported by the European Copernicus program, identifying it as the hottest year on record since measurements began. For the first time, the global temperature surpassed the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels.
November 2024 was the second warmest November globally, after November 2023, with an average surface air temperature of 14.1°C, which is +0.7°C above the average for the same month during the 1991–2020 period.
November 2024 was 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels and marked the 16th month within a 17-month span during which the global average surface air temperature exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels.
Additionally, the average global sea surface temperature for November 2024 reached record levels at 20.6°C, the second-highest ever recorded for the month, just 0.13°C below November 2023.