Bad weather, water bombs in the South. A roof fell in Crotone

Due to bad weather, the roof of an apartment building in via Braille, in Crotone, was torn off by strong gusts of wind and fell onto the central via Mario Nicoletta, near the Provincial Palace. The covering, made up of heavy and sharp sheets of metal, touched the facade of a building opposite before falling onto the roadway, damaging some parked cars. No injuries were reported. At the time of the collapse, no pedestrians or vehicles were passing along the city artery, which remained unusually deserted, both due to the adverse weather conditions and the concomitant anniversary of the commemoration of the deceased.

The wave of bad weather in recent hours has also hit Puglia. Water bombs and downpours were reported in Lecce and its province from the early hours of the morning: an orange alert came into force for the whole day, according to the regional civil protection bulletin. Numerous requests for intervention were received at the fire brigade switchboard of the provincial command. The mayor of Lecce, Adriana Poli Bortone, has also issued an order to close schools in the city for today. The city parks and the sports field are also closed, and the markets in via Bari and piazza Libertini are suspended. Schools were also closed patchily in other municipalities in the province.

The regional civil protection of Puglia, given the situation, has issued a new weather warning bulletin which extends the orange bad weather alert for the entire region until tomorrow, although it is improving. Thunderstorms and gale force winds are expected until late this evening. During the night and until tomorrow morning, further scattered precipitation is expected, including showers or thunderstorms, with generally moderate quantities. Strong northern winds continue on the coastal sectors, easing everywhere since the afternoon.

Schools closed, in particular, in Trani and Barletta, with cemeteries closed to visitors and celebrations to commemorate the deceased canceled or moved. These are the precautionary measures examined in various Apulian municipalities in view of the orange weather alert issued by the regional civil protection for today, Monday 2 November. Widespread rainfall, including heavy rainfall, is expected in the region, accompanied by storm gusts, possible hailstorms and frequent electrical activity. In Trani the mayor has ordered the closure of all schools of all levels, public and private, and nursery schools for the entire day today. The provision also concerns the municipal cemetery. Also in Barletta the mayor Cosimo Cannito signed an ordinance for the closure of schools of all levels. The administration will also monitor the urban and extra-urban roads and the underpasses most exposed to the risk of flooding, evaluating the possible ban on traffic. In the Bari area, in Bitetto, the Municipality has ordered the closure of the municipal cemetery for the entire day of November 2nd. In Giovinazzo, however, the cemetery will close at 1pm.

But following the orange alert issued by the Civil Protection in Puglia, the municipalities of Lecce and Brindisi have also ordered the closure of all schools, parks and cemeteries for today. The mayor of Lecce, Adriana Poli Bortone, has announced that the traditional visit to the monumental cemetery, on the occasion of the commemoration of the deceased, to the tombs of mayors and illustrious people is also cancelled. Throughout the province of Brindisi, the mayors, coordinated by the president of the Province Elio Ciccarese, are thinking of issuing their own closure orders as well. Decision already taken in the province of Foggia, for example, by the municipality of San Severo.

Intense rains also hit Molise, and in particular the coastal area. A water bomb, specifically, affected Termoli, with flooding, falling trees and mud on the streets of the city. Several interventions by firefighters and local police. In the coastal town a large shrub fell on a parked car in Piazza Sant'Antonio and a second ended up on a roundabout. The Port Authority of Termoli intervened to assist a fishing vessel that was trawling at sea. About 5 nautical miles from the port it began to take on water, making it necessary to activate rescue services. Three seamen from the crew on board.

Thunderstorms and widespread rainfall are also affecting Campania although they are expected to ease from midnight across a large part of the territory. The Region's Civil Protection Functional Center has meanwhile extended until 2pm tomorrow, 3 November, the Yellow weather alert issued yesterday (and valid until 11.59pm today throughout Campania) only in zone 3 (Sorrento-Amalfi Peninsula, Sarno Mountains and Picentini Mountains); 4 (Upper Irpinia and Sannio); 5 (Tusciano and Alto Sele); 7 (Tanagro). We read it in a note from the regional civil protection.

"In consideration of the orange level weather alert issued by the Civil Protection" and "the worsening of climatic conditions", the mayor of Matera, Antonio Nicoletti has decided to develop "a specific ordinance to order the closure of cemeteries and city parks". The press office of the municipal administration confirmed this, explaining that "the decision falls within the scope of the precautionary measures for prevention and protection of public safety, in light of the weather forecasts which indicate possible critical issues of a hydrogeological, hydraulic and storm-related nature". Furthermore, "the activation of the municipal operations center (Coc) is being arranged, with the task of constantly monitoring the evolution of meteorological conditions, coordinating any interventions in the area and guaranteeing the connection between the municipal structures, the competent bodies and the Civil Protection voluntary associations".

In this sense, the snow arrived on time and made its first appearance on the Abruzzo Apennines in the last few hours. After a morning with irregularly cloudy skies and some showers, snowfall began in the early hours of yesterday afternoon, November 1st. The snowfall particularly affected the Alto Sangro area and the National Park. Copious flakes also in Roccaraso, Rivisondoli and Pescocostanzo. Roofs and streets covered in snow also in Pescasseroli. Not only the province of L'Aquila saw snow, Prati di Tivo, on the Teramo side of Gran Sasso, Passolanciano and the Majelletta area were also covered in snow.

Due to the bad weather that is raging, in Abruzzo the University of Annunzio has announced the suspension of all in-person teaching activities for today and tomorrow. "We inform the entire academic community - we read on the University website - that, due to the persistence of adverse weather conditions, today all teaching activities are suspended until 2.00 pm. Starting from the same time, and for the entire day of tomorrow 3 November, the planned activities will take place in Dad mode".

Disturbances and flooding have been reported in Pescara and the metropolitan area, with incessant rain continuing since last night. The problems mainly concern traffic: some roads were closed due to water. There were also floods in garages and basements. In this sense, numerous interventions are underway by the firefighters. In Pescara, via Spaventa has been closed to traffic, from the intersection with via Chiarini to via D'Avalos, while the emergency has currently ended in via della Riviera and via Caravaggio, first closed and then reopened to traffic. One way in the direction of the sea-mountains, however, in Colle Marino road. The critical issues that occurred this morning in the hospital area have been overcome. The underpasses are all open.

For today, the Civil Protection had issued an orange alert in the last few hours for the areas of Central and Southern Italy affected by the bad weather, including Puglia and Basilicata. In some areas of both regions, yellow alerts have also been issued for specific types of risk. The yellow alert, however, has already been triggered for Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Calabria and Sicily, due to possible critical issues linked to rain, thunderstorms, including intense ones, and hydrogeological phenomena.

Starting from Tuesday 3 November, however, the expansion of high pressure towards the central Mediterranean may allow the return of conditions of atmospheric stability over a large part of the country, while the unstable circulation will remain active on the two Major Islands and the far South. For Thursday 5 November, experts report the transit of a new "unstable impulse linked to a low depression positioned to the west of the Peninsula: the configuration will maintain conditions of marked variability, with rainfall estimated between 30 and 40 mm/24h concentrated close to the southern sectors of Calabria and Sicily".