Italy left reeling by heavy rain, flooding

Italy is bracing for more heavy rainfall after stormy weather hit the country over the weekend, causing floods, damage, and loss of life.

The Emilia-Romagna region in the north of the country was worst affected, with the city of Bologna recording more than 160 millimeters of rainfall as extreme conditions that had previously hit central France moved into the area.

There were more than 300 fire department incidents recorded in the region, with rivers and streams bursting their banks, cars being washed away, and the army being called in to some regions to help rescue people who had become stranded.

Italian news agency ANSA referred to much of the area as "remaining on its knees" after the "widespread devastation" caused by the flooding.

It also reported that this was the fourth time Emilia-Romagna had experienced severe flooding in less than 18 months. A previous incident in May 2023 left 17 people dead and caused damage running into billions of euros, with fossil fuel emissions specifically blamed as the cause for the increased incidence of such extreme events.

Red and orange extreme weather alerts are expected to remain in place until Tuesday, with fears that the south of Italy could be the next area to bear the brunt of the stormy conditions.

Sicily, the island off the southern tip of Italy, has already been badly affected by the storms, with local media reporting that flights had to be diverted to other locations after Palermo Airport suffered flooding.

Renato Schifani, president of the Sicilian region, was due to meet the regional Cabinet on Monday to assess the damage that had been caused, and to prioritize the recovery measures that need to be put in place.

In the United Kingdom, which has experienced stormy weather recently but nothing comparable to the conditions in mainland Europe, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a travel warning to Britons going abroad during the upcoming school midterm break, warning of the potential for disruption and extreme weather.

The deluges and their aftermath come days after mountainous southeastern regions of France experienced similar conditions, leading to serious damage and power cuts, although no loss of life.

At the height of the storm, six departments close to the city of Lyon were put on red flood alert, and in parts of the Ardeche region, situated between Lyon and the southerly port city of Marseille, up to 700 millimeters of rain fell in 48 hours.

"That's more than a year's rainfall in Paris, so it's absolutely gigantic," Environment Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told television channel BFM.