Over the weekend, violent storms and heavy rains claimed the lives of at least seven people across France, Switzerland, and Italy. The storms resulted in torrential rain, landslides, and severe flooding throughout the region.
In France, three elderly individuals were killed in the Aube region on Saturday when strong winds caused a tree to fall on their car. Local authorities reported that a fourth passenger remains in critical condition.
In Switzerland, three people lost their lives due to a landslide in the southeastern canton of Ticino.
Additionally, a man was found dead in a hotel in Saas-Grund in the southwestern Valais region, likely due to a sudden flood. Another person is missing in Valais as rescue efforts continue.
Civil security services evacuated “several hundred” people in Valais and closed roads due to overflowing rivers. Emergency teams also worked to evacuate 300 football tournament participants from Peccia and nearly 70 campers from Mogno.
Parts of Valais experienced power and water outages due to storms, and roads were closed as the Rhone River and its tributaries overflowed.
In Italy, the northern Aosta Valley experienced significant flooding after several rivers swelled.
Meanwhile, Greece and Turkey are battling wildfires amidst scorching temperatures.
In Athens, authorities issued emergency messages for some residents to evacuate and others to stay indoors and close windows to avoid smoke. In Turkey, residents and holidaymakers were evacuated from the Izmir district.
Wildfires have been growing in intensity in the Mediterranean in recent years. Scientific assessments have linked high temperatures caused by the burning of coal, oil, and gas to the worsening of natural disasters such as storms and wildfires.
In June, state television reported that at least 13 people lost their lives and numerous others were reported missing due to heavy rains, floods, and landslides in southern China.
The southeastern Fujian province was affected, with continuous rain impacting around 66,500 residents in Shanghang.
