What's the weather like in Florence, Tuscany , Italy
Florence, the historic capital of Italy's Tuscany region, is best known for being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Today the city is a hugely popular holiday destination for culture vultures who want to explore the museums and art galleries, foodies who want to indulge in the local cuisine and wine, and sun-worshippers who want to bask in the Italian sunshine.
The city is located in the north of Italy and enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with dry hot summers and cold wet winters. Whilst the centre of the city is largely urban and full of historical buildings and cobbled streets, the area surrounding the city (within a 40km radius) is mostly croplands and forests.
Thanks to its location both within Europe and Italy Florence experiences four distinct seasons: summer (June to August), autumn (September to November), winter (December to February) and spring (March to May).
July and August are the hottest months of the year and are very popular times to go. If you don't want to get stuck with sky-high flight and accommodation prices, a good compromise is to visit in June or September, when prices will be much cheaper than the peak summer months, but the weather will be very similar.
Summer Weather in Florence
Temperature
Summer is when Florence enjoys its warmest weather, with average temperatures rising from 22°C in June, up to 25°C in July before falling down to 24°C in August. Daily highs and lows change in a similar way, starting off at 28°C/17°C in June, peaking at 31°C/19°C in July and falling down to 31°C/18°C in August.
Out of the summer season, the hottest period is usually the final week of July and the first fortnight of August. The hottest temperature which has ever been registered in Florence in the summer season is 41°C, which was recorded in August. The coldest temperature which has ever been recorded here during this season is 6°C, which was registered in June.
Rain
As well as being the hottest, summer is also the driest season of the year for Florence, with an average of 42mm falling during six rainy days each month. June is usually the wettest month, with 50mm of precipitation falling on eight rainy days. July tends to be the driest month, with 33mm of precipitation falling over five days.
The most common forms of precipitation for Florence in summer are thunderstorms and moderate rainfall.
Sunshine
Just like you'd expect for a summer season in Europe, this time of year is when the city enjoys the most of its sunshine, with an average of 12 hours of sunshine each day. At 13 daily hours, July receives the most sunshine out of all months.
Autumn Weather in Florence
Temperature
After a hot and balmy summer, temperatures start to drop in Florence in autumn. During this season, average temperatures fall quickly from 21°C in September down to 16°C in October and 11°C in November. Daily high and low temperatures follow the exact same pattern, dropping from 27°C/16°C in September down to 21°C/12°C in October and 15°C/7°C in November.
Out of the autumn season, the first fortnight in September is the warmest period. The highest temperature ever registered in Florence in autumn is 36°C, which was recorded in September. The coldest temperature ever recorded here during this season is -5°C, which was registered in November.
Rain
The precipitation increases significantly in Florence in autumn compared to summer. During this season, each month receives an average of 91mm of precipitation which is spread out over 12 rainy days. November is usually the wettest month with 102mm falling over 14 days. September tends to be the driest month with 76mm falling over nine days.
The most common types of rainfall you can expect to get in Florence in autumn are thunderstorms at the beginning of the season and moderate rain toward the end.
Sunshine
As autumn develops, the daily sunshine hours rapidly decrease, falling down from ten in September to seven in October and five in November.
Winter Weather in Florence
Temperature
Winter is the coldest season for Florence, when average temperatures drop from 8°C in December down to 7°C in January and back up to 8°C in February. Daily highs and lows follow a similar pattern, changing from 11°C/4°C in December to 12°C/3°C in January and then rising up to 12°C/4°C in February.
The warmest part of the winter season is the first week of December. The highest temperature ever recorded in winter in Florence is 24°C which was registered in February. The lowest temperature ever registered in winter in Florence is -10°C which was recorded in December.
Rain
Florence is subject to a lot of precipitation in winter, with an average of 61mm falling across 11 rainy days each month. December tends to be the wettest month, with 72mm falling on 13 days, whilst February is the driest, with 49mm falling on eight days.
The most common types of precipitation you're likely to get in Florence in December are moderate rain and light rain. Occasionally,
Snow
Florence is also affected by snowfall in winter. However, since snowfall only appears on 2% of days with precipitation, it's still relatively unlikely to affect your holiday.
Sunshine
With an average of five hours each day, Florence experiences very little sunshine during winter. February sees the most sunshine out of the season, with an average of six hours each day.
Spring Weather in Florence
Temperature
After a harsh winter, the weather quickly improves in Florence in spring. During this season, average temperatures begin at 10°C in March, rise up to 14°C in April and rise again up to 18°C in May. Daily highs and lows follow the same pattern, rising up from 15°C/6°C in March up to 19°C/9°C in April and 24°C/13°C in May.
The warmest part of the spring season is the final week of May. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florence in spring is 34°C, which was recorded in May. The coldest temperature ever registered in Florence in spring is -6°C, which was recorded in March.
Rain
Florence experiences a lot of rainfall during its spring season, with an average of 70mm falling over the course of ten wet days. April is usually the wettest month with 95mm falling over 13 days, whilst March is the driest with 42mm falling over nine days.
The most common forms of precipitation you can expect to see in Florence in spring are moderate rain and thunderstorms toward the end of the season.
Sunshine
Following on from a dark winter, the average daily sunshine hours for Florence start to rise in spring, increasing by two hours each month from seven in March up to nine in April and 11 in May.
Extreme weather
One of the most recent examples of extreme weather in Florence was a violent hailstorm which wreaked havoc across the city on Friday, September 12th 2014. This hailstorm brought with it torrential rainfall and hailstones which, although they weren't large and only fell for a total of ten minutes, appeared in such a huge quantity that they coated the roads like snow. During the storm, trees were uprooted and fell into the streets, resulting in power cuts, road blocks and temporary school closures.