Heavy storms in northern Italy – the bathers fled

The weather service of the Emilia-Romagna region, of which Bologna is the capital, also reported severe thunderstorms from the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Ferrara and Ravenna. Pictures showed broken electricity poles, collapsed homes, scattered roof tiles and wrecked cars. One video showed swimmers fleeing en masse from the beach at Lido di Classe near Ravenna. The exact extent of the damage is not yet clear. According to what was reported by the newspaper “La Repubblica”, three people were injured in the province of Ferrara.

Severe hailstorms were reported from Bologna. The authorities there warned against the use of tunnels and the danger of falling trees and street signs. Various railway lines in the area were also cut off. There have been reports of hail the size of tennis balls in some places. According to the Meteorological Department, wind gusts of up to 129 kilometers per hour were recorded.

There were also severe storms in the Marche-Adriatic region, which borders Emilia-Romagna to the south. According to the website “La Repubblica”, one of the beaches of Ancona was surprised by a sudden and violent storm. While the beaches were still littered with bathtubs, the sky darkened within minutes, and strong winds tore off dozens of umbrellas. Waves broke through the sixth row of beaches, chairs were floating in the water.

Severe storms hit northern Italy on Friday. Among other things, a video caused mobs of water and ice to splash through the streets of the small town of Seregno in Lombardy.