Maurizio Maugeri

Climate Variations in Italy in the Last 130 Years

Series of annual and seasonal temperature and precipitation representing, respectively, northern and southern Italy are compared for trend in the period 1865–1996. Temperature and precipitation trends are almost always apposite except for the northern winter where they have a correlated behaviour till about 1980. The result is that the Italian climate is becoming warmer and drier. Monthly mean values of daily minimum and maximum temperature and of daily temperature range (DTR) have a positive trend. In particular the DTR reaches its maximum values in about 1945 then it decreases increasing suddenly in the last ten years.

Trends in High Frequency Precipitation Variability in Some Northern Italy Secular Stations

Recent studies on changes in precipitation intensity have found for some areas evidence of an increase in the proportion of total precipitation contributed by heavy and extreme rainfall events in the last 80 years. The purpose of the paper is to verify whether such a signal can also be detected in Northern Italy where daily precipitation (DP) is available starting from the beginning of the 19’ century. The analysis is performed on 5 stations: Genoa (1833–1998), Milan (1858–1998), Mantova (1868–1997), Bologna (1879–1998) and Ferrara (1879–1996). It gives evidence that in Northern Italy there is a positive trend in the proportion of total precipitation contributed by heavy precipitation events (i.e. DP > 25 mm and DP > 50 mm). The trend is mainly caused by the last 60–80 years and is particularly evident in the periods 1930–1960 and 1975–1995. It is more evident in the western than in the eastern area.