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🇮🇹 Italy /Disasters & Emergencies

Italy's weather extremes: Scorching heatwaves and destructive hailstorms

From ANSA · () Italian

Translated from Italian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Italy is experiencing extreme weather, with record-breaking heatwaves in the south and severe hailstorms, tornadoes, and heavy rain in the north.
  • The heat has exacerbated wildfires, particularly in Abruzzo, while tornadoes have damaged historical buildings in Cremona and hundreds of cars across northern cities.
  • Temperatures reached nearly 46 degrees Celsius in Sardinia, while cities like Rome saw highs of 41 degrees, and a gardener in Bologna died from heatstroke.

Italy is currently caught between two extremes of weather: scorching heatwaves across much of the country and violent storms, including mega-hailstorms and tornadoes, in the north.

On Friday, temperatures soared, reaching nearly 46 degrees Celsius in Sardinia and 45 degrees in Sicily. Rome recorded 41 degrees, and other regions like Calabria and Abruzzo also experienced intense heat. This extreme heat has fueled dangerous wildfires, notably on Mount Morrone in Abruzzo, where over 100 ground operators and three helicopters were deployed to combat the flames. In Ogliastra, fires reached the edge of Arzana, forcing the evacuation of over a hundred people.

The heat fueled the fires, particularly serious on Monte Morrone, in Abruzzo, hit by flames for days, to extinguish which it was necessary to employ over 100 ground operators and three helicopters.

— ANSADescribing the severity of the wildfires exacerbated by the heat.

Simultaneously, the northern regions have been battered by severe weather. A tornado struck Cremona, causing damage to the Duomo cathedral and the Palazzo Comunale. The roof of a spire on the cathedral and the municipal tower collapsed. Violent hailstorms, with hailstones reportedly the size of tennis balls, hit the Piacentina area and the province of Brescia, causing significant damage to crops, particularly grapes. Hundreds of cars were also damaged across various northern cities.

A gardener died Thursday afternoon from a sudden illness while he was working on restoring the paving of the green area in a private home in the province of Bologna, probably due to the high temperatures.

— ANSAReporting on a fatality linked to the heatwave.

The extreme conditions have had tragic consequences. A gardener in Bologna died from heatstroke while working on paving an outdoor area, likely due to the high temperatures. In the Val di Fassa, approximately 800 hikers had to be assisted and escorted down from the mountains after ski lift operations were halted due to bad weather. The strong winds also caused a school roof to be blown off in the Belluno area.

Looking ahead, a slight improvement in the heat is expected over the weekend. However, the heatwave remains a significant concern, with nine cities under a 'red alert' for maximum heat risk, including Rome, Palermo, and Cagliari. While the number of cities on high alert is projected to decrease slightly on Saturday, the contrast between the intense heat in the south and the destructive storms in the north highlights Italy's vulnerability to extreme weather events.

At the same time, a tornado hit Cremona in the afternoon: the Duomo and the Palazzo comunale were damaged; the roof of a spire of the cathedral and the roof of the municipal tower collapsed.

— ANSADetailing the damage caused by the tornado in Cremona.
About this summary

Originally published by ANSA in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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