Climate and risks: earthquakes and air from the industrial area
Syracuse was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake and damaged by that of 13 December 1990, which killed 18 people in Carlentini. ARPA Sicilia attributes the poor air quality perceived in the area, Syracuse included, mainly to industrial sources; residents report odours through the NOSE project. Climate data in the block.
Sections: Seasons · Rainfall · Temperatures · Air quality · Environmental hazards
Earthquakes
After the 1693 earthquake Syracuse was rebuilt in Baroque forms, which give it its eighteenth-century look. On the night of 13 December 1990, the "Saint Lucy earthquake", magnitude 5.6 with its epicentre offshore along the Ionian coast, killed 18 people in Carlentini, injured over 200 and displaced more than 13,000; the worst damage was in Augusta, Lentini, Carlentini and Melilli, but Syracuse and Catania were also affected.
Air and odours
North of the city lies the industrial hub of Augusta, Priolo and Melilli. In a November 2023 statement ARPA Sicilia wrote that the poor air quality perceived in the area — Augusta, Priolo, Melilli, Syracuse, Solarino and Floridia — "seems to have a predominantly industrial origin". Through the NOSE project residents report odours via an app: in the Syracuse area there were over 4,600 registered users and over 17,000 reports since the project began. ARPA recorded exceedances of odour thresholds for some sulphur compounds at Città Giardino.
Missing: temp_jan_avg, temp_jul_avg, rain_days_year
Data
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-13
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