Climate and natural hazards

Apulia is one of the most arid regions in Italy: rain concentrated between October and March, long hot summers with peaks over 40 °C in the Tavoliere and inland Salento, high humidity on the Ionian coast. The Scirocco brings humid heat and Saharan dust; the Maestrale and Tramontana cool the Adriatic. Winters are mild on the coast and colder on the Murge and Monti Dauni, where it snows a few days a year. The climate data in this entry refer to the regional capital.

Water, fires, Xylella

The region has very few rivers: drinking water comes almost entirely from the Sele-Calore springs in Campania and the Basilicata reservoirs (Pertusillo, Sinni, Monte Cotugno) through the Acquedotto Pugliese network, the longest in Europe. The droughts of 2017 and 2023–2025 depleted the Capitanata reservoirs (Occhito) and forced irrigation limits; network losses and waste are a recurring issue. Summer fires affect the Gargano, the Alta Murgia and the Salento pine woods. Since 2013 Xylella fastidiosa has desiccated millions of olive trees from the Salento northwards, with infected, buffer and free zones defined by the Region and mandatory uprooting measures.

Seismicity and air

Under the Civil Protection classification the Gargano, Capitanata and Monti Dauni are in seismic zones 1 and 2 (earthquakes of 1627 and 1731 in the Foggia area), the Murge and Bari area in zone 3, the Salento in zone 4, the lowest in Italy. Heavy rain causes flooding in coastal towns and in the karst gullies (lame) around Bari. In Taranto the Tamburi district, next to the steelworks, is monitored by ARPA Puglia for dust and benzo(a)pyrene, with «wind days» announced by ARPA Puglia; the 2017 municipal order closing the district's schools on wind days was revoked in January 2018; Brindisi has an energy and chemical hub under conversion.