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EXPLAINED: What do Italy’s storm alerts mean?

Italy issued 'red', 'orange' and 'yellow' storm alerts for many parts of the country on Monday as the heatwave broke - but what does the colour-coded warning system mean, and what can you do to stay safe in extreme weather?

Published: 28 August 2023 16:16 CEST
How does the Italian government's storm alert system work?
Lightning strikes in a thunderstorm over Rome. Photo by Laurent EMMANUEL / AFP.

Italy’s civil protection department issued severe weather warnings for much of the country on Monday, as a cold front moving in from the Atlantic brought intense rain, winds and hailstorms to the north and centre-north.

While many in Italy will have breathed a sigh of relief on hearing that the country’s week-long heatwave was coming to an end, the government has warned people in some areas to prepare for significant disruption from incoming storms.

READ ALSO: Storm warnings in Italy as heatwave set to break on Monday

A high-level ‘red’ risk alert was issued for Lombardy’s Valchiavenna area, with six regions receiving moderate ‘orange’ and 12 other areas lower-level ‘yellow’ warnings.

But what does the colour-coded storm alert system actually mean in practice, and what precautions should people take? Here’s a closer look.

‘Red’ alert

This is the most severe weather alert, warning of major landslides, collapsed bridges, rivers overflowing and diverting from their normal paths, and potential widespread flooding even in areas far from waterways.

Such a weather event could cause damage to buildings and city centres, as well as infrastructure, including roads, bridges and railway lines, and agricultural and industrial sites.

Crops are at risk of widespread destruction, the supply of basic goods and services could be disrupted, and fallen trees and branches could bring down communications networks.

There is a severe threat to public safety and human life.

A car crushed under an uprooted tree is pictured in Milan on July 25, 2023 after an overnight rainstorm hit the city. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP)

‘Orange’ alert

An orange alert represents a moderate risk warning.

Regions placed under such an alert are at risk of small landslides, sinkholes, damage to buildings and settlements, and the flooding of floodplains.

Structures on or below ground level are at risk of flooding if they are in the vicinity of a waterway, and individual buildings, fields or worksites could be hit by landslides.

Roads and railways could become blocked, and the supply of goods, services and communications networks disrupted.

There is a threat to public safety and the risk that lives could be lost.

‘Yellow’ alert

A yellow warning is the least severe alert, but still indicates some level of risk.

River levels are likely to rise rapidly and waterways could become flooded, as could nearby underpasses, tunnels, and basement-level structures.

Roads and railway lines could become temporarily blocked, and utility and telecoms services could be disrupted.

There is the occasional threat to public safety and the possibility that lives could be lost in unforeseen events.

A flooded street in Milan on July 25, 2023 after an overnight rainstorm hit the city. Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP.

How should you prepare for a storm?

The civil protection department has released detailed guidelines on how to prepare for an extreme weather event and how to best protect yourself when one happens.

Before bad weather hits, you should:

  •  Inform yourself about where floods have occurred in the past in your area. If an area has flooded before, it’s likely to do so again.
  • Ask your town council, as wells as schools and workplaces, for a flood protection plan including a map of escape routes and safe areas. If such a plan doesn’t exist, ask them to prepare one.
  • Find out how your region sends out risk alerts and make sure you’re on their contact list. Italy’s government is currently rolling out a nationwide risk alert system.
  • Keep an eye out for things like clogged drains and report any issues to your local authorities.
  • Make sure your building allows easy for movement between levels.

READ ALSO: ‘IT-Alert’: How Italy will warn you of nearby emergencies via text

If you’re suddenly caught in rapidly rising floodwaters, you should:

  • Turn off your water and electrics system, being careful not to touch electrics with wet hands.
  • Move to the higher floors of the building you’re in, helping disabled people and the elderly to do so.
  • Not go outside to move your car, as you could quickly become trapped in it.
  • Avoid drinking tapwater, which could be contaminated.
  • Limit your cellphone use to emergencies only, to avoid overloading the network.
  • If you’re outside, be careful where you step, as water could conceal open manholes and other hazards.

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CLIMATE CRISIS

‘Extreme’ climate blamed for world’s worst wine harvest in 62 years

World wine production dropped 10 percent last year, the biggest fall in more than six decades, because of "extreme" climate changes, the body that monitors the trade said on Thursday.

Published: 26 April 2024 08:48 CEST
'Extreme' climate blamed for world's worst wine harvest in 62 years

“Extreme environmental conditions” including droughts, fires and other problems with climate were mostly to blame for the drastic fall, said the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) that covers nearly 50 wine producing countries.

Australia and Italy suffered the worst, with 26 and 23 percent drops. Spain lost more than a fifth of its production. Harvests in Chile and South Africa were down by more than 10 percent.

The OIV said the global grape harvest was the worst since 1961, and worse even than its early estimates in November.

In further bad news for winemakers, customers drank three per cent less wine in 2023, the French-based intergovernmental body said.

Director John Barker highlighted “drought, extreme heat and fires, as well as heavy rain causing flooding and fungal diseases across major northern and southern hemisphere wine producing regions.”

Although he said climate problems were not solely to blame for the drastic fall, “the most important challenge that the sector faces is climate change.

“We know that the grapevine, as a long-lived plant cultivated in often vulnerable areas, is strongly affected by climate change,” he added.

France bucked the falling harvest trend, with a four percent rise, making it by far the world’s biggest wine producer.

Wine consumption last year was however at its lowest level since 1996, confirming a fall-off over the last five years, according to the figures.

The trend is partly due to price rises caused by inflation and a sharp fall in wine drinking in China – down a quarter – due to its economic slowdown.

The Portuguese, French and Italians remain the world’s biggest wine drinkers per capita.

Barker said the underlying decrease in consumption is being “driven by demographic and lifestyle changes. But given the very complicated influences on global demand at the moment,” it is difficult to know whether the fall will continue.

“What is clear is that inflation is the dominant factor affecting demand in 2023,” he said.

Land given over to growing grapes to eat or for wine fell for the third consecutive year to 7.2 million hectares (17.7 million acres).

But India became one of the global top 10 grape producers for the first time with a three percent rise in the size of its vineyards.

France, however, has been pruning its vineyards back slightly, with its government paying winemakers to pull up vines or to distil their grapes.

The collapse of the Italian harvest to its lowest level since 1950 does not necessarily mean there will be a similar contraction there, said Barker.

Between floods and hailstones, and damp weather causing mildew in the centre and south of the country, the fall was “clearly linked to meteorological conditions”, he said.

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