The whole of peninsular Italy and the large
islands of Sicily and Sardinia have very changeable weather in autumn,
winter, and spring in marked contrast to the settled sunny weather of
summer. Disturbed weather can continue into late May and may commence any
time after early September. Throughout the winter, however, cloudy rainy
days alternate with spells of mild, sunny weather.
The least number of rainy days and the highest number of hours of sunshine
occur in the extreme south of the mainland and in Sicily and Sardinia. Here
sunshine averages from four to five hours a day in winter and up to ten or
eleven hours in summer.
The heat of summer is usually moderated on the coast by daytime sea breezes,
but the nights can occasionally be warm and even humid.
