Ferragosto weekend brings heaviest traffic of the summer, operator warns

The coming weekend brings some of the heaviest traffic Italy will see this summer, according to warnings from the country's motorway operator, The Local Italy reported on Friday. With the Ferragosto holiday falling on Saturday, August 15, millions of Italians are expected to take to the roads for the peak of the summer season.

The warning covers the national motorway network, which connects the major cities and coasts, but for regions like Molise, the impact is felt on the secondary roads that feed into the main arteries. The region's winding routes, which carry holiday traffic to the Adriatic coast and the Apennine interior, are often the first to clog when the national network slows.

The forecast comes amid a broader summer of disruption, with Mount Etna's ash cloud having closed Catania airport for a fifth consecutive day, stranding travellers in Sicily, according to France 24. The combination has made this one of the most complicated travel weekends in recent memory.