In northern Italy, rivers burst their banks, there is a risk of landslides: In South Tyrol and Lombardy, people are struggling with floods.
South Tyrol – The extreme weather conditions in large parts of Europe never end. After the devastating flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate and an extreme heat wave in southern Europe, several regions in northern Italy are now struggling with floods after heavy rainfall. In South Tyrol, some rivers burst their banks, and Lombardy is also struggling with the masses of water and mud. Some popular holiday regions are also affected.
In the province of South Tyrol, several roads had to be closed after several landslides. The civil defense of the municipality of Klausen warned on Thursday night (05.08.2021) of flooding as a result of the Eisack river overflowing its banks. Local residents were asked by the fire brigade to drive vehicles out of underground garages and to take safety precautions. The authorities recorded similar conditions in the northern Italian city of Brixen. The second highest of four warning levels was declared. According to the civil defense, the fire brigade in South Tyrol was deployed with a good 1000 men and women.
Italy: floods in South Tyrol and Lombardy – popular vacation spots also affected
One person had to be rescued by the emergency services during the night near the town of Sterzing in South Tyrol. He was in distress due to the confluence of the Talfer and Eisack rivers. The fire brigade announced that the person affected was taken to a hospital with hypothermia for further care. The Adige, the second longest river in Italy, is also flooded.
Many holiday resorts on Lake Garda also had to struggle with the consequences of the heavy rains. In Limone sul Garda, the rain washed mud into several rooms of a hotel. The dining rooms are affected, the guests stayed in their rooms, an employee of the hotel confirmed to the German Press Agency (DPA). A total of 100 holidaymakers had to be evacuated during the night. There were no injuries, as reported by the Italian news agency Ansa.
Also on Lake Como in Lombardy, several streets in Como were flooded twice as a result of the rising water level. The people at a campsite in the resort of Dervio had to be brought to safety. In the metropolis of Milan in northern Italy, the fire brigade also warned of flooding on the Seveso River. According to the DPA, the weather situation relaxed again in many places on Thursday afternoon.
Italy: The south of the country is struggling with heat and forest fires
The current situation in southern Italy is completely different. After weeks of drought and enormous heat, numerous forest fires and bushfires developed in Sicily and Calabria, among other places. The firefighters have been fighting numerous emergency services and fire-fighting planes against the flames for days.
According to the Italian Environment Minister Robert Cingolani, around 70 percent of the fires were caused by humans. In addition, there are the consequences of climate change. For Thursday, the Sicilian civil defense once again declared the highest fire risk level for the north and east of the island. (dpa / yw)
