Italy is facing severe weather conditions, with the country experiencing storms that have led to floods, snowfall, power outages, and heightened river alerts, particularly in the northern regions. According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, Italian authorities have issued warnings in several areas, including Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto, due to strong winds, heavy rains, and snowfall. Additionally, a yellow alert has been issued in 13 other regions, prompting the closure of construction sites and parks.
After three months of mild weather, winter has returned forcefully to Italy, striking the northwest with violent snowstorms. According to reports, heavy snowfall occurred in the mountains around the city of Turin, resulting in significant accumulation in some areas. These storms have caused power outages and disrupted traffic on highways and secondary roads, with many roads becoming impassable.
Authorities have warned of the risk of ice avalanches in the western Alps and advised caution in low-lying areas due to the possibility of floods caused by heavy rainfall. The western part of Italy has been the most affected, with traffic on roads halted and immediate intervention by firefighters required. In Genoa, heavy rain overnight led to landslides and floods, filling some streets with water and mud.
About 100 people remain isolated in Molini di Triora, inside Imperia, due to a landslide that caused part of the road leading to the city to collapse. In the inland areas of Imperia, another landslide on the Lavinia Alta road has isolated 70 more people, while an ice avalanche swept away four hikers: they were all rescued alive, with only one being transported to the hospital.
In Salinereimo, a landslide isolated about twenty houses along the Cassino Lonier road, in the upper part of the Armea valley, near the prisoners. The situation has also become complicated in Piedmont, where around thirty roads have been closed as a precaution against the risk of snow avalanches.
In the province of Turin, the regional road number 32, which stretches from Vieu to Ossiglio, in the Lanzo valleys, has been closed in some sections due to falling snow-laden trees.
The mayors of the affected municipalities have requested that citizens stay in their homes and limit travel as much as possible due to heavy snowfall.
