Rome - The persistent storm has had tragic consequences in Apulia. Two people lost their lives due to extreme winds. In Taranto, a 38-year-old worker died when a lighting column fell onto his workman's basket. In Bisceglie, a twelve-year-old girl was struck by a falling tree on the road and only reached the hospital lifeless. A yellow warning is in place for Apulia until 8 p.m. this evening due to stormy winds from the south, some of which could reach hurricane force.
Storm damage and flood protection
The extreme weather is also causing states of emergency in other parts of the country. In Venice, all the floodgates of the Mose project were raised yesterday evening to protect the lagoon city from an expected flood peak of 95 centimetres. Strong bora winds had unexpectedly exacerbated the situation on the coast. In Sicily, particularly in the Messina area, the fire department was called out to over 40 incidents. The strong sirocco uprooted trees and also fanned fires near the Messina-Palermo highway, which had to be extinguished by the emergency services.
Saharan dust and other forecasts
A special phenomenon is currently dominating the skies: desert dust from the Sahara. While the sky over Milan has turned orange and there is a heavy haze in the air in Rome, so-called „dirty rainfall“ is occurring in combination with precipitation. The dust also provides acoustic damping, making thunder quieter during thunderstorms. The national civil defense has declared a yellow warning level for nine regions - including Umbria, Molise and areas from Abruzzo to the Aosta Valley. Rainfall of up to 90 millimetres is expected today, particularly in the north-west, as well as heavy snowfall at higher altitudes. From tomorrow, Wednesday, the most intense phase should be over, although it will remain changeable in the center and south.
