Storm triggers mudslide – church buried

After the extreme heat, severe storms are now rolling across Italy. Streets are flooded, trees are falling and landslides are threatening safety.

Rome – The scorching heat wave that has hit Italy in recent weeks now seems to be over. But instead of a pleasant cooling off, the “murderous heat”, as one weather expert described it, is followed by the next weather extreme: severe storms are sweeping across the country, leaving behind floods, fallen trees and landslides.

After heavy rains, several streets in Rome are flooded

In recent weeks, Rome, Milan and Turin have been hit by heavy rain, causing flooding and fallen trees. A cyclone raged in the south of the country – holidaymakers fled to safety in panic. Now another storm front is hitting southern Italy and the upper Adriatic. On Sunday evening (8 September) it started to rain in Rome, as the Italian newspaper The Republic reported. Overnight, these showers developed into heavy rain.

In the city center, the flooding forced three subway stations to close due to storm damage, the newspaper said. Since midnight, the fire brigade has carried out about 100 operations, mainly due to fallen trees and branches and water damage. In some streets, water penetrated parked cars and the courtyards of houses, especially garages and basements.

Part of a church roof collapses due to storms in Italy

The situation is particularly chaotic in the Ostia district, where residents complain about the inadequate sewage system: “We are tired of being flooded every time it rains. The storm drains have been renewed, but it has not helped, it is a waste of public money,” The Republic a speaker.

In Fregene, a suburb of the Roman municipality of Fiumicino, part of the roof of the church of San Gabriele dell’Addolorata in Via Silvi Marina collapsed during the night. The neighboring restaurant was also damaged. However, as the restaurant was already closed, there were no injuries, according to the Carabinieri and the fire brigade.

Tuscany hit by storms: Italian newspaper speaks of “bestial Sunday”

Tuscany was also hit by severe storms. Storms, hail and tornadoes swept across the region on Sunday. It was a “domenica bestiale” – a bestial Sunday, as the Italian newspaper The National reported. The cities of Siena, Livorno and Prato were hit particularly hard. Videos on X show the extent of the storms.

In South Tyrol, heavy rain caused a landslide. According to South Tyrol News The mudslide occurred on Monday night from the Eiswandfernerbach in Trafoi in the municipality of Stilfs. There had been heavy rain showers beforehand. The mudslide completely filled up the stream bed above the pedestrian bridge near the “Holy Three Wells” church. “We have a large excavator on site and are trying to clear the stream bed under the bridge so that it is not completely covered in mudslides or washed away,” the newspaper quoted Peter Egger, director of the Office for Torrent and Avalanche Control West. The Saas Valley in Switzerland was recently inaccessible after a landslide. The only The holidaymakers were rescued by an expensive helicopter flight.

According to the weather forecast, residents of the regions affected by the storms can soon breathe a sigh of relief: Although temperatures are expected to rise to 10°C, according to the Italian weather portal metero.it will gradually decrease, the storm situation will calm down over the cou
rse of the week and pleasant autumn weather will return. Only in the south of the country can isolated storms and rain showers be expected in the coming days. (tt)