Rome just had its hottest February since 1862

It's hard to believe that this time last year it was snowing. While last February saw much of southern Italy shivering, 2019 is serving up extreme weather of a different kind. 

On Thursday, the last day of the month, the temperature hit 21.6 degrees C – the highest temperature ever recorded in February, according to the Antico Osservatorio Collegio Romano, a weather observatory in Rome. The previous record was 21 degrees, reached on February 22nd 1990.

February as a whole was warmer this year than any other time on record since 1862, the observatory said. 

Here's late February 2018…

Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP

… and 2019.

Photo: Laurent Emmanuel/AFP

Despite the sunshine, the capital was lashed by strong winds in the past week that led authorities to rope off precarious buildings and order public parks closed. Several trees were swept over, including one onto a taxi.

The wind had dropped by the end of week and Rome's fine weather is forecast to continue throughout the weekend, with temperatures predicted to approach 20 degrees again in the heart of the city.

The skies will cloud over mid-week, however, and temperatures are expected to start dropping – while still remaining in double figures.

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