Cyclone Boris arrives in Italy after flooding half of Europe

Cyclone Boris returns in Italy after causing severe flooding in several parts of Europe.

Also known as the “boomerang cyclone” for its unusual outward and return path, this vortex will bring heavy rains to our country, after having hit Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Last September 12, the cyclone crossed Italy, causing a drastic drop in temperatures up to 15°C and heavy rains between Lombardy and the North-East.

After moving towards the Balkans over the weekend, the eye of the cyclone has moved up towards Hungary, and now, following a boomerang-like trajectory, it will turn back, diving into the Italian Mediterranean.

A maximum alert is expected due to heavy rains and thunderstorms, accentuated by the still high temperatures of our seas. Over 250 mm of rain are expected in just three days, with the most affected areas being Emilia-Romagna and Marche.

Due to the temperatures of late summer and early autumn, there will be no snow even on the highest peaks of the Apennines, which means that precipitation will only come in the form of rain.

This, combined with the freezing level above 2500-3000 meters, will favor a rapid response of the watercourses, potentially leading to flash floods. Within 48 hours, even the main rivers could reach dangerous levels, although the soils are not yet completely saturated.

High sea temperatures, with the Adriatic still at 25°C, will provide additional energy to storms. Cyclone Boris will bring with it an air mass at -20°C at altitude, creating a thermal contrast of as much as 45°C at about 5000 meters, a difference that could generate extreme weather events.

Strong thermal contrasts and the convergence of Bora and Sirocco winds between Romagna and Marche are in fact ideal conditions for the development of violent storms. The Center-South will probably remain in the eye of the cyclone for several days, but the maximum alert remains concentrated on the Adriatic coast between Romagna and Marche, as well as on the northern Apennines.

This bad weather is expected to last until Thursday 19 September, with the last phenomena expected on Friday, while the weather should improve over the weekend, with sunnier and drier days.

In conclusion, we are facing a phase of intense bad weather brought by cyclone Boris and aggravated by the heat of the sea, both factors linked to climate change. Global warming, which caused record temperatures until early September, contributed to the intensification of the cyclone, and now we are paying the consequences with storms full of energy and heat.