ROME, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) — Heavy rainfall has swept across Italy in the past 24 hours, triggering floods, landslides and transport disruptions, with northern and central regions among the worst affected.
The severe weather followed a 24-hour nationwide warning issued by the Italian Civil Protection Department for thunderstorms, hail and strong winds. The agency also placed five regions under an orange alert, the second-highest level for hydrogeological risk. The alert covered parts of Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Tuscany, as well as the entire regions of Lazio and Umbria. Southern areas, including Palermo and Trapani in Sicily, faced lower risk levels but remained on alert for flooding and related hazards.
On Elba Island off the coast of Tuscany, a violent thunderstorm inundated the main town of Portoferraio on Tuesday, temporarily isolating around 200 residents, local authorities said. Although floodwaters began to recede late Wednesday, Mayor Tiziano Nocentini urged residents to stay indoors and warned of possible new storms overnight. He noted that it was the fourth extreme weather event to hit the island in less than six months.
In Liguria, widespread flooding was followed by landslides and road closures, disrupting local services. In Veneto, strong winds tore off roofs, uprooted trees and caused power outages, while localized flooding hit areas around Vicenza and Verona.
In Venice, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on social media that all barriers of the MOSE, a system of mobile gates in the Venice Lagoon designed to protect the city from high tides, had been raised and would remain in place for 24 hours, with tides of up to 1.05 meters expected on Thursday.
Rail services were also affected, with delays and cancellations reported in Rome and across Lazio, near Milan in Lombardy, and in the southern region of Campania.
