I was looking at the weather and saw that in all the cities we are going to, we will experience rain and thunderstroms. How accurate is this? Is it more of a short spurt? This somewhat worried us because we have booked some hikes and excursions and didn't know if it was just a quick rain. The temperature is still going to be hott, but wanted any advice of those who have been to Italy in September
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15800 posts
Danielle, if anyone at all could accurately predict the weather, they'd be making a fortune. There's just no way to do it. If there's rain in the forecast, it could be a short shower or it could be an all-day affair. In our experience in Italy (spring and fall) it hasn't ever rained on us ALL day but we've had to scamper in and out of some long and heavy downpours.
Predictions can be only so accurate more than a few days out, and can even miss mark completely within 24 hours. There's not a thing you can do about it but take your rain gear and be prepared to have a good time whatever Mother Nature hands you!
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Last year in Italy, I found the forecasts at weather.com to be pretty reliable, but most so when viewing the hourly version for the current day. Italian hotel staff often used a different web site and posted some sunnier outlooks that felt less reliable.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, United States
906 posts
Rain is no problem, it does rain and you can have downpours but we survive with an umbrella. However, I have seen some darn dramatic and intense lightning and thunder in Italy. We saw one of the most intense and prolonged events in Bologna last May. It went on for hours and hailed a lot. We were in the middle of a lightning storm in Umbria in June. As long as you are careful they are really an Italian sight to see. Very cool from my perspective.
Posted by
Phoenix AZ
635 posts
Very generally speaking, thunderstorms, when they occur, usually last only a short time, more often than not in the late afternoon, with sunny skies before and after. The big cumulonimbus clouds can add drama to your photos, like this. The storms can also provide a brief respite from the heat of the day.
These photos were all taken within the span of about three hours: (1), (2), (3). The last one was taken during a heavy shower while we were entering the Church of St. Peter in Chains; by the time we came out of the church the rain had stopped and it was starting to clear up.