In the south in summer you die of humidity.
'Afa' — A-fa. Very short — just two syllables. Stress on the first. One of the most expressive short Italian words.
Use when discussing the specific heat conditions of southern Italy in summer — Palermo, Catania, Naples, Bari. The combination of high temperatures and humidity is specific to Mediterranean coastal cities.
'Afa' is a uniquely Italian word for muggy, suffocating heat — a combination of temperature and humidity that creates a heavy, breathless atmosphere. 'Si muore' (one dies) is dramatic hyperbole — standard Italian weather intensification.
A Palermo ad agosto si muore.
In Palermo in August you die.
Specific city — Palermo's August heat and humidity is legendary even in Italy
Il caldo umido del Mediterraneo è diverso.
The humid Mediterranean heat is different.
Explains the quality of southern heat as distinct from continental heat
Si respira a fatica.
You can barely breathe.
'Respirare a fatica' (to breathe with difficulty) — captures the physical sensation
Sicily and Calabria regularly record the highest temperatures in Europe during summer, sometimes exceeding 45°C. The heat is a source of both pride ('resistiamo al caldo') and complaint ('impossibile vivere') depending on the speaker's relationship with the south.