September has begun, but in Sardinia, summer still does not seem ready to give way. After a temporary easing of temperatures, the subtropical anticyclone will strengthen again over the Mediterranean in the coming days, bringing a new period of stable weather and above-average heat.

The new intensification is expected mainly from Friday, September 4, with the hottest conditions forecast during the first weekend of the month.

Temperatures still reaching 37–38 degrees

Values will remain high in the coming hours.

The official ARPAS forecast for Thursday, September 3, indicates a high of 37 degrees in Ozieri, 36 in Cagliari and Iglesias, 35 in Carbonia, and 33 in Sassari and Olbia.

On Friday and Saturday, the sky should remain mostly clear or slightly cloudy, while temperatures are expected to remain essentially steady at first.

Longer-range weather models nevertheless indicate a further rise over the weekend, when the hottest areas of Sardinia could once again reach 37–38 degrees.

Above-average temperatures in September as well

What will make this period unusual will not only be the absolute values, but above all how far they are from the temperatures normally expected at the beginning of September.

National projections in fact indicate thermal anomalies of up to 4–8 degrees above average in several parts of Italy during the most intense phase of the anticyclone.

The Italian Air Force also confirms a scenario marked by a subtropical ridge over the central-western Mediterranean and temperatures generally above the typical values for this time of year.

A situation that is expected to continue for at least much of the first ten days of September.

Intense heat in Sassari, but without the peaks recorded in inland areas

In northern Sardinia, the heat will persist, but the highest values should be concentrated mainly in inland areas.

In Sassari, maximum temperatures are expected to be around 33–34 degrees in the coming days, while Ozieri and other inland locations may record significantly higher values.

This new phase comes after an August already marked by several bursts of African heat and exceptionally high temperatures. We also discussed it in our feature on the previous heatwave in Sardinia.

Heat at least until the beginning of next week

The anticyclonic phase should continue over Sardinia during the first days of next week as well, maintaining predominantly sunny conditions and high temperatures.

Forecasts beyond a few days naturally retain a degree of uncertainty, especially regarding specific peak values and the exact duration of the hot spell.

The trend, however, now appears fairly clear: meteorological autumn has begun only on the calendar, and Sardinia will still have to contend with several days of fully summery weather.