Five years after Sicily recorded Europe’s highest officially recognized temperature, residents of the town of Floridia say extreme heat has become an increasingly disruptive part of everyday life.

A weather station near Floridia recorded 48.8 degrees Celsius on August 11, 2021. The World Meteorological Organisation confirmed the reading in 2024 as the highest temperature ever recorded in continental Europe.

Today, the town of around 20,000 people is again facing increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves. During the hottest parts of summer, Piazza del Popolo, once a popular gathering place, can remain largely deserted.

Residents say even evenings offer little relief. The traditional Sicilian practice of sitting outside to catch the cooler air, known locally as pigghiari u frescu, has become harder as temperatures remain high well into the night.

Luigi Pasotti, head of Sicily's Agrometeorological Information Service, said the heat was discouraging people from leaving their homes and reducing social interaction.

The 2021 record remains a vivid memory for locals. Ugo Tomasello recalled struggling to breathe while walking through the deserted town during the extreme heat.

But scientists say the bigger concern is not individual temperature records, but the longer periods of sustained heat being experienced across the region.

But scientists say the bigger concern is not individual temperature records, but the longer periods of sustained heat being experienced across the region.

Pasotti said Sicily was increasingly experiencing weeks or even months of consistently high temperatures, rather than isolated extreme days.

The effects are also being felt in agriculture, with Sicily's beekeeping industry particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.

A survey by the Sicilian beekeepers' association found that more than 3,000 beehives were lost in the Iblei Mountains in 2021, while honey production fell by around 80%.

For local beekeeper Francesco Pappalardo, the changing climate is putting entire colonies at risk.

As temperatures continue to rise, Floridia's experience illustrates how climate change is affecting not only agriculture and health, but also the daily rhythms and social life of communities across southern Europe.