Streams become raging rivers

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Until a few days ago, images of dried up rivers alarmed the Emilia Romagna region. Like everywhere in northern Italy, there has been a record drought for almost 18 months.

Large parts of the region in northeastern Italy are now under water. Reason: the former streams became raging rivers overnight. They have risen over the banks and flooded the flat land. The continuous heavy rains cause landslides on the slopes in many places. In individual areas it dropped to 260 milliliters.

There is red alert in Emilia Romagna

The area around Ravenna, where 250 people had to be evacuated, was particularly hard hit by the storm. In Castel Bolognese, an 80-year-old drowned while cycling along the riverbank. There is also an emergency in Bologna. Hundreds had to leave their flooded homes here. Residents are ordered to move to higher areas or to set up emergency shelters in a hurry. Schools are closed as a precaution.

Railway lines between Bologna and Rimini, Bologna and Ravenna, Faenza and Ravenna and the Ferrara-Ravenna line are partially flooded. Train services are suspended until further notice. Heavy rainfall continues in Emilia Romagna. It’s still red alert.

Mediterranean low responsible for storms

Storms and pouring rain are also pouring down from the sky in other regions of Italy. In Genoa, trees were uprooted and tiles were swept from roofs. A heavy tree trunk hit a car. Mudslides occurred at night along the Mediterranean coast from Calabria to Sicily. On Capri, lightning and thunder damaged a main power line. There was a blackout. According to the Italian weather forecast, precipitation will decrease in the coming hours. As of Thursday, the ghost is over.

While Italy struggles with the storm, the rain in Switzerland is a blessing. “I really enjoy looking at the weather map,” says Roger Perret (55) of Meteo News, “everywhere it’s green. The risk of wildfires is low.” Although the Zurich meteorologist also predicts isolated thunderstorms and sometimes heavy rain for Switzerland in the coming days, there will be no extreme weather conditions like in Italy, where a Mediterranean low has formed.

“The parched soils have been sealed by the drought. The water does not penetrate, but flows out. Hence the floods », explains Perret to Blick. In Switzerland, however, the rains were not so heavy and more favorable for nature. In general, the weather expert notes that Switzerland must also continue to take into account changeable weather. “Climate change just causes extreme weather.”

Source: Blick