Florence sits in a basin among the hills of Tuscany in central Italy, inland on the River Arno and enclosed by higher ground, at approximately 43.77°N, 11.26°E. Its sheltered, low-lying inland position gives it a Mediterranean climate with a more continental edge than the coast (Köppen Cfa/Csa) — hotter summers and cooler winters than seaside Tuscany — with the surrounding hills trapping heat in summer and cold, damp air in winter.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and can be humid, with July and August the warmest months — average highs around 31–32°C — and the enclosed valley setting acting as a heat trap, so afternoons in the city can feel stifling with little breeze. Hot spells can climb well into the mid-to-high 30s. Rain is scarce in high summer, though the heat sometimes breaks in afternoon thunderstorms.

Winter, from December to February, is cool to cold and damp, with January the coldest month — average highs around 9–10°C and lows near 1–3°C, with frost common on clear nights and occasional dips several degrees below freezing. The sheltered basin is prone to winter fog and long grey spells, and light snow falls in some years, though it rarely settles for long.

Florence receives around 800–950 mm of rain a year, following a broadly Mediterranean pattern with the wettest months in autumn — around October and November — and again in spring, while July is the driest. The Arno, swelled by autumn rains, has historically brought catastrophic floods, most devastatingly in November 1966. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Florence's inland, hill-ringed basin is the key to its climate, giving it a wider temperature range than coastal Tuscany — hotter, more sultry summer afternoons and colder, foggier, frostier winter nights. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, with warm days and comfortable temperatures ideal for exploring the city before the summer heat builds in the enclosed valley.

To follow any single measurement in Florence more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.