Water bombs, flooded highways and risk of storm surges. But also the return of snow on the Dolomites and plummeting temperatures. Bad weather has hit Italy from North to South, starting in the early hours of the morning, after months of drought.
And the weekend will also be affected by rains, strong winds and snow on the Alps down to 1500 meters. The civil protection has issued an orange alert for some areas of Sicily and Calabria and a “yellow” alert in Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, some areas of Abruzzo and the remaining territories of Calabria and Sicily.
In fact, a worsening is expected towards the south where from this evening thunderstorms and scattered and widespread precipitation are expected in Sicily - from the early hours of tomorrow - extending up to Puglia. A drop in temperatures is also expected. And already from the early hours of this morning in the North, intense rains have hit Friuli Venezia Giulia, the eastern plain and the Julian Prealps.
Some underpasses were closed after flooding caused by rainfall during the night. Rainfall reached 60 millimeters and gusts of sirocco reached 70 kilometers per hour. Snow returned to the Bergamo area. Flakes fell at 1400 - 1500 meters, whitening the ski slopes of the upper Brembana Valley, as well as the town of Foppolo, in the Orobie Alps, and Vilminore, in the Scalve Valley.
Snow also on the Veneto Dolomites where the drop in temperatures has recorded -6 degrees on the Marmolada which is completely white. Above Cortina d'Ampezzo, in Ra Valles, on the Tofane, almost 40 centimeters of snow have fallen. The ski slopes of Monte Faloria - where 10 centimeters have fallen - could be open in a couple of weeks.
The Veneto region was also affected by heavy rains and modest storm surges. In Venice, to counteract the high water, the Mose barriers were raised in just thirty minutes and in Piazza San Marco only puddles formed, as predicted by the technicians. There was no damage in the city.
Last night, heavy rains also affected some areas of Versilia, in Tuscany. In the hamlet of Bozzano, in the municipality of Massarosa, in the province of Lucca, the small streams that cross the town overflowed, flooding the fields and gardens of several homes. On the coast of Quercianella, in Livorno, a 50-year-old man who was walking on the cliff was swept away by a wave that dragged him into the sea. Two passers-by dived into the water and saved him.
In the center, dozens of interventions by firefighters in the province of Frosinone, between Cervaro and Cassino, where in the afternoon the water reached and damaged the lower floors of some buildings. Flooded streets and landslides were recorded. In the south, during the morning, the strong sirocco wind stopped the hydrofoils to Ischia and Procida.
In Forio, shortly after eight o'clock, a large piece of plaster broke off from a building and fell onto the road without causing any damage to people or things. Also in Campania, hundreds of motorists were trapped for hours on the Avellino-Salerno motorway junction where a strong water bomb hit.
In Mercato San Severino, in the Salerno area, the water has reached worrying levels: several cars remained stuck in underpasses. Since late morning today, bad weather has been affecting some areas of the province of Avellino with particular reference to Alta Irpinia.
A bridge between the municipalities of Cassano Irpino and Ponteromito has been completely covered by the water of the underlying stream and is at risk of collapse. In the hinterland of Avellino, in San Michele di Serino, the Sabato river has overflowed, flooding dozens of hectares of cultivated fields and sweeping away warehouses and structures serving farmers.
The strong wind uprooted numerous trees that fell on the roadway in the municipality of Lioni. The situation seems to have returned to normal in Montella, hit by a water bomb that invaded the city center. The mayor, Rino Buonopane, after having convened the Coc, gave the green light to the Chestnut Festival, which begins tonight, in which visitors from all over the region participate.
The Fire Brigade is still engaged in about fifty interventions in the municipal territory to restore and secure the most affected areas.
Article published on November 4, 2022 - 20:48
