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WEATHER

Two dead as northern Italy battered by severe storms

Two people died on Thursday and around a hundred others were evacuated in Tuscany, local authorities said, as storms, heavy rain and hail hit many parts of northern Italy.

Published: 18 August 2022 15:48 CEST
Updated: 18 August 2022 19:07 CEST
Bad weather in Montpellier, France
Incidents including flash floods and lightning strikes are becoming more common in Italy, data shows. Pascal GUYOT / AFP

Both victims were hit by falling trees, local media reports said.

Four people were injured by toppling trees at the seaside camping site of Marina di Massa, while four others were rushed to hospital in the medieval town of Barga after the car they were travelling in was hit by a torn-off roof, according to local news site Toscana in Diretta.

READ ALSO: How the climate crisis is hitting Europe hard

The civil protection agency prepared emergency accommodation in schools and gyms for those forced from their homes after bad weather toppled trees and tore off roofs in the area.

Several regions reported serious incidents involving both people and property on Thursday.

High winds sweeping through St Mark’s Square in Venice on Thursday dislodged fragments from its famous belltower, according to the AGI new agency.

The city of Milan meanwhile ordered public parks to be closed on Friday and urged residents to avoid leaving their cars under trees.

Photos and videos shared on social media on showed the damage caused to homes and businesses in the Liguria region after severe storms hit the north-western coast of Italy overnight.

Winds of up to 120km/h hit the coast, while heavy rain reportedly caused damage to power lines and the Genoa-La Spezia railway.

The mayor of Sestri Levante, on Liguria’s coast, said homes, businesses and beach facilities had been “heavily hit” and the local authority had “requested a ‘state of calamity’ given the extraordinary extent of the damage.”

Hailstones of up to 4-5 centimetres in diameter were reported in the Ligurian provinces of Chiavari and Sestri Levante.

In Boara, near Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna), a whirlwind (tromba d’aria in Italian) caused the collapse of a construction crane.

No one was reported injured in the incident, though the crane caused serious damage to three houses located in the area.

READ ALSO: Europe facing record year for wildfire destruction: EU

The extreme weather was being caused by masses of low-pressure air moving south, according to reports.

According to the latest forecasts, extreme weather will continue to affect the north of the country until at least Friday, when the low-pressure area currently wreaking havoc across the northern regions might finally ease off.

The Italian Civil Protection department issued an amber alert for Lombardy and Veneto for Friday, August 19th, whereas a lower-level yellow alert will be in place for all the other regions in the north of the country.

Experts say climate change driven by human activity is boosting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.

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ROME

Rome’s ancient Arch of Constantine damaged by lightning

Some fragments of Rome's famous Arch of Constantine fell off after the ancient structure was hit by lightning during a violent storm on Tuesday.

Published: 4 September 2024 12:17 CEST
Rome's ancient Arch of Constantine damaged by lightning

“All the fragments were recovered and made safe” following the incident on Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the Colosseum archaeological park told AFP.

“Damage assessments have already begun and analyses are continuing this morning with a work site already operational,” she added.

The arch, built in 315AD to celebrate Emperor Constantine’s victory in the battle of Ponte Milvio, was already undergoing maintenance work, which had begun on Monday.

Standing about 25 metres high, it is the largest of three triumphal arches in Rome. It is located along the route followed by ancient triumphal processions, near the Colosseum.

After a hot, dry summer, the centre of Rome was hit by a sudden storm on Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, high winds, thunder and lightning.

More than 80 millimetres of rain per square metre fell on the historic centre – about the same amount that falls in a month in autumn on average, town hall officials said.

The storm caused flooding in some areas and winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour that brought down trees, it said.

Experts say climate change is shifting weather patterns and increasing the number of extreme weather events.

“It is increasingly evident that the issue of climate change and its impact on our lives is now unavoidable for everyone,” Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said.

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