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STORM

More storms forecast as strong winds cut power

Households in Dalarna and Hälsingland were left without power on Sunday morning after stormy weather on Saturday. More strong winds and heavy rainfall are forecast on Sunday by the meteorological agency SMHI.

Published: 26 October 2008 10:10 CET

Heavy winds forced trees and branches over power lines on Saturday and around 4,600 of Fortum’s customers were without power at 5am on Sunday morning. 1,730 of those affected are in Hudiksvall and 1,473 in Ljusdal, according to a company press release.

SMHI issued a class 2 weather warning in western coastal areas and the fells on Saturday with winds up to 20 metres/second recorded. SMHI also warned for high tides in the lower Baltic Sea with water levels expected to rise by 100-125 centimetres.

Kjell Flyman, a meteorologist at SMHI said on Sunday that the winds had hit their peak and would gradually tail off during Sunday. Flyman warned of gales on both coasts and the southern part of the Gulf of Bothnia.

The low pressure front over the Norwegian Sea meant rains over the whole of Sweden were set to persist into Sunday and class 2 warning remains for the southern Gulf of Bothnia.

A class 2 weather warning means certain risks to the public and property, a risk of material damage and interruptions to public services.

CLIMATE

Four dead as storms, floods and tornadoes wreak havoc across northern and central Italy

High winds, tornadoes and giant hail: extreme weather hit many parts of Italy's north and centre-north this weekend, leaving at least four holidaymakers dead and causing widespread damage. Weather alerts continue over the coming days.

Published: 31 August 2020 09:28 CEST
Four dead as storms, floods and tornadoes wreak havoc across northern and central Italy
File photo: Marco Bertorello/AFP

Severe weather has been reported over the weekend everywhere  from South Tyrol down to the central region of Lazio around Rome, with at least four people killed in two separate incidents, and several reported missing.

In Tuscany, two girls aged three and 14 were reportedly killed on Saturday night when a tornado reportedly uprooted a tree which hit their tent at a campsite in Marina di Massa.

Two German tourists were killed on Sunday night during severe flooding on the Brenner state road near Bolzano, South Tyrol, the Ansa news agency reports. A family car collided with a lorry, killing two of the passengers; a 45-year-old father and 67-year-old grandmother. A seven-year-old boy and his grandfather reportedly survived, while the lorry driver was unhurt. 

The vehicles had been diverted onto the local road when the motorway was closed due to storms. The motorway has now reopened on Monday, however train lines in the area remain closed.

A 38-year-old man has been reported missing in the Varese area after being swept away by a swollen river.

The city of Verona is bracing for further flooding after being hit by multiple waves of bad weather since August 23rd, with high winds and giant hailstones also causing considerable damage in the area.

Severe damage was reported across much of the Veneto region, with the Vicenza and Belluno areas also hit particularly hard. The famed ski resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo in Belluno suffered landslides due to strong winds and heavy rain.

In the Vicenza area of Veneto a tromba d'aria (small tornado) flattened trees, fences and road signs and damaged buildings.

The bad weather reached neighbouring Lombardy with hailstones “the size of eggs” reported in Cremona and Mantova, and heavy rain and flooding in Alessandria.

And in Bergamo, firefighters had to clear roads made impassable by severe hail.

Meanwhile in parts of the south, fire crews have been battling blazes in woods and scrubland from southern Tuscany and Marche to Sicily after a hot, dry summer. 
 
Italy's Civl Protection department continued to issue weather warnings on Monday with orange (level two) alerts in place for Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige and Lazio.
 
 
Lower-level yellow alerts were also issued for Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Tuscany.
 
With the wave of bad weather expected to spread south over Monday and Tuesday, yellow alerts were also issued for the regions of Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria on Monday.
 

 

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