Weekend dedicated to bad weather almost everywhere, according to forecasts, with heavy rainfall and storms. The civil protection, as early as the evening of 9 December, issued a rain and thunderstorm alert on Sardinia and central Italy, extending today towards the south. From midnight, on the island of Ischia an orange alert was triggered, concentrated on the areas already affected by the bad weather of recent days. New evacuations from the red zone and from Ischia port. A 20-year-old young man lost his life in Bolzano due to the cold. Snow at high altitudes and a further drop in temperatures are expected for next week.
Coldiretti: snow is boon for Italy with -30% water
For Coldiretti, the arrival of bad weather with rain and snow is boon for dry Italy where in the last year almost 1/3 less water fell (-30%) which caused a severe drought with dramatic effects on agriculture but also risks for civil and industrial uses. «At least 50 billion cubic meters of water are missing – Coldiretti estimates – due to a 2022 that remains extraordinarily dry despite the rainfall in November which was slightly above the historical average. Therefore, not only inconvenience and damage, the arrival of rain and snow – continues Coldiretti – is therefore important to quench the thirst of the fields made arid by drought and restore water supplies in the land, in the reservoirs, in the lakes, in the rivers and in the mountains where the glaciers lose surface and thickness».
Pietrasanta: 20 people isolated due to landslide
About 20 people living in via Vitoio a Pietrasantain the province of Lucca, where yesterday afternoon, following a landslide, the municipal road was closed to the transit of vehicles and pedestrians.
The landslide also caused a tree to fall onto an electricity line and Enel workers have been restoring it since yesterday evening. Municipal technicians, a company commissioned by the municipality and the firefighters were also on site. This morning the technicians visit to check the road conditions.
Umbria, schools closed as a precaution
The prefectures of Perugia and Terni have established schools closed today in Umbria as a precaution related to the orange alert for weather conditions. “In particular – reads the ordinance of the Prefecture of Perugia – it was considered that the hydraulic and hydrogeological criticalities envisaged could also endanger traffic along the entire road system, generating situations of risk for public safety”.