After experiencing relatively clement weather conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures for the most part of December, much of Italy is set to get a taste of “real winter” this weekend, forecasters warned on Friday.

Regions in the north and centre of the peninsula were warned to expect stormy conditions and heavy rain starting from Friday afternoon, with western Lombardy, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli, Veneto and Emilia Romagna forecast to be amongst the most heavily hit areas.

Southern regions and the two major islands, Sicily and Sardinia, were also expected to see rainfall over the Epiphany weekend, though overall conditions were expected to be less severe there.

The incoming front was forecast to cause a five- to seven-degree drop in temperatures across the entire length of the country, with daytime readings expected to stand somewhere between 2 to 6 degrees in the north and centre, and between 6 and 10 in the south and major islands.

Experts said the dip in temperatures would favour snowfall in the Alps, with locations standing at 1000 metres or above likely to see generous amounts of snow (up to 40 centimetres in some areas) during the weekend. 

But the latest projections suggested that multiple high-altitude locations in the Apennines – including areas of Marche, Umbria and Abruzzo – may also experience snowfall for the first time this year, though much will depend on local daytime temperatures.

At the time of writing, there was no clear indication as to how long the incoming storm front would linger over the country, though some forecasters said stormy conditions may well continue into next week, albeit with lower overall intensity compared to the weekend.