Storms haunt Italy: storm surges drive bathers to flight

Italy stormed
A storm surge sends the swimmers fleeing

07/22/2023, 9:30 PM

In Italy’s Adriatic region of Marche, bathers lie relaxed on the beach as the sky darkens suddenly. A few minutes later, umbrellas and sun loungers fly around and land in the water. In neighboring Emilia-Romagna, houses are collapsing and power lines down.

Severe storms hit northern and central Italy and in some cases caused considerable damage. Areas around Bologna and the Adriatic coast were affected. The meteorological service for the Emilia-Romagna region reported violent thunderstorms from its capital Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara and Ravenna provinces. Photographs showed broken power poles, collapsed houses, scattered roof tiles and crashed cars. A video shows bathers leaving the beach en masse at the Lido di Glas near Ravenna. The exact extent of the damage is still unclear.

Wee Zeitung “Republic” Three people were injured in the province of Ferrara. There was a heavy hailstorm in the city of Bologna. Officials there warned against using culverts, falling trees and street signs. Various railway lines in the area were also cut off.

Hail the size of tennis balls has been reported in some places. Wind gusts of up to 129 kilometers per hour are possible, according to the weather service.

The sky will be dark in a few minutes

There were also severe storms in the Marche Adriatic region, bordering Emilia-Romagna to the south. According to “La Repubblica”, a part of the coast north of Ancona was surprised by a sudden and violent storm surge. Although the beaches were packed with bathers, within minutes the sky darkened and the wind picked up. The waves penetrated up to the sixth row of the beach, and the lounges floated in the water.

A severe storm hit northern Italy on Friday. Among other things, a sensation caused a stir VideoLots of water and ice rushed through the streets of Cerregno, a small town in Lombardy.