The bad weather expected in the Centre-North, with a significant temperature drop that has swept away the high temperatures of the summer, has arrived: from Brenner to Versilia, passing through Lombardy and Liguria, there are various areas of Italy that have been hit in recent hours by rain and strong winds. Much damage has been recorded so far, from landslides to falling trees to the flooding of a stream in the Genoese area.
Last night the Brenner line was closed due to a flow of mud and debris, after a heavy storm, on a slope above the tracks. However, the landslide was stopped by containment nets. Technicians are working to assess the stability of these networks and the risk of further flows.
Heavy rainfall in Liguria, where in the center of the Region the alert has been increased to orange until 9pm today. A strong storm hit the provinces of Genoa and Savona, with a considerable number of lightning strikes that sent traffic lights and lighting out of order. Furthermore, the Lavagna stream flooded in several places in Calvari, in the province of Genoa, in Val Fontanabuona due to heavy rains during the weather alert.
The province of Cremona was also hit by bad weather again, after the storm of hail and wind that devastated the capital on August 28th. This time it was Castelverde that was hit by a violent storm accompanied by strong gusts of wind, where some houses were uncovered and the resident families evacuated.
A violent storm with strong winds in the early afternoon then caused damage in Viareggio - in the province of Lucca - and in other parts of Versilia. In several beach establishments in Viareggio, both in the Darsena and Passeggiata areas, equipment flew away and some trees fell, causing damage in this case too. There are no injuries.
A large pine tree fell in the center of Viareggio, in the square of the church of Sant'Andrea, ending up on a parked minibus and on the veranda of a bar and some waste collection bins. Another pine tree fell into a building in Darsena, causing considerable damage. The municipal police temporarily closed the promenade for safety reasons, damage was also reported to the veranda of a restaurant and the roof of a hotel.
The disturbance also affected the area of the Beach Stadium at Bagno Flora in Passeggiata, where the European Beach Soccer Championships are underway until Sunday. Bad weather forced the 2pm match between Ukraine and Switzerland to be interrupted. The equipment and cameras used to broadcast the match were damaged.
Also in Versilia, in the afternoon a lime tree fell onto the road on the provincial road at the Marignana Pieve crossroads in the municipality of Camaiore (Lucca), causing the interruption of vehicular transit. Some trees also fell in the municipality of Pietrasanta.
Inconveniences due to bad weather then in the province of Massa Carrara. Flooded roads have been reported between Carrara, Massa and Montignoso and in some areas of Lunigiana. In Carrara, in the hamlet of Avenza, the water reached some basements. while in some areas of Massa there are reports of areas with homes without electricity for a few hours.
In consideration of the orange alert, the Municipalities of Carrara and Massa have issued orders for the suspension of educational activities in schools and nurseries and the closure of parks, cemeteries, sports facilities and public outdoor spaces, in addition to the suspension of outdoor activities. Coc will also be open in Massa. Similar decision also made by the Municipality of Carmignano (Prato).
Strong storms with thunder and lightning were also recorded in Milan during the day. The Milanese woke up this morning with a sharp drop in temperatures, which are around 20 degrees, after the numerous waves of heat that characterized the summer. At the moment no particular damage has been reported, other than a few branches that fell onto the street due to the wind and rain but which did not cause any damage.
