Italy faces cold snap at Easter, forecasters say.

Easter in Italy is set to be "colder than Christmas" due to the north-easterly Bora winds bringing a wave of "Polar air" from Norway, according to weather forecast site iLMeteo.it.

This will result in temperatures dropping by up to 10 degrees, with widespread cold conditions, and lows set to dip below zero in the northern Po Valley during Holy Week.

Meterologist Lorenzo Tedici recalls the temperatures recorded last Christmas 2022: Cagliari 21°C, Catania 20°C, Naples 19°C, Rome 18°C and 15°C in the Po Valley.

Temperatures will remain very low at night from north to south, while during the day they will be only slightly below the averages for the period.

• Easter in Rome: a quick guide

In the days leading up to Easter the north will be cold, with possible frost, while in the centre and south the weather will be unstable with rain and colder than normal temperatures.

Italy will see thunderstorms over the Easter weekend, especially in the south, however the weather is set to improve on Easter Monday, or Pasquetta, according to iLMeteo.it.

Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, which fall on 9 and 10 April in 2023, are national public holidays in Italy.