Bad weather in Italy: orange alert in Tuscany, cloudburst over Rome

An Atlantic disturbance is bringing widespread bad weather across Italy, with an orange alert in Tuscany and cloudbursts over the Capital. The Civil Protection has issued alerts for 15 regions for Friday, October 9th.

Heavy downpours have occurred in Rome, while in Grosseto and Livorno, closures of schools, parks, and cemeteries have been ordered. The bad weather, which first hit the Northwest, is extending to Central and Southern Italy, with forecasts of intense showers and thunderstorms over Lazio, Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia.

Maximum temperatures are dropping, with a noticeable decrease in Sardinia, Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, putting an end to the abnormal heat recorded in the South. Seas are very rough in the Ligurian and central-northern Tyrrhenian areas.

The severe weather situation is caused by the second Atlantic disturbance of October, which is crossing the Peninsula. These weather systems, originating in the Atlantic Ocean, are common in autumn and bring cooler and more unstable air to the Mediterranean.

The disturbance began affecting Italy by first hitting the Northwest regions, particularly Liguria, Piedmont, and Aosta Valley, with violent thunderstorms and heavy downpours. It later extended towards the Center, where it triggered an orange alert in Tuscany and heavy rain in Rome.

The system is now progressing towards the South, where it will bring a sharp drop in temperatures after a period of abnormal heat, with summer-like values reaching up to 32°C in Sicily. The disturbance is expected to dissipate quickly, making way for more stable conditions over the weekend.