Storm Adam hits Italy, orange alert in Liguria

A severe wave of bad weather, associated with Storm Adam, has been hitting Italy since Tuesday, October 20. The Civil Protection has issued a widespread alert, with an orange level (moderate risk) for the Central and Western Maritime Basins of Liguria, where schools have been closed. Six other regions are under a yellow alert: Piedmont, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Umbria, and Sardinia.

Forecasts indicate heavy rains, thunderstorms, and a risk of cloudbursts, with precipitation peaks of up to 250 millimeters in a few hours, particularly in Liguria, the Alpine areas, and the northern plains. The worsening conditions began in the Northwest and, according to experts, the core of the instability will shift to the Tyrrhenian side on Wednesday, keeping the situation critical for 48 hours.

Storm Adam is a disturbed system that has already caused damage in Spain and brought rains to southern France before reaching Italy. The bad weather of these days is not just a simple disturbance, but a potentially damaging meteorological and hydrogeological event, assessed by the Regions and the Department of Civil Protection through national vigilance and criticality bulletins.

The risk assessment is based on specific forecasts for civil protection, which analyze the potential for flooding, landslides, and inundations. Based on these, each Region sets alert levels (yellow, orange, red) and Mayors activate municipal plans, deciding on measures such as school closures. The hydrogeological fragility of many Italian territories amplifies the danger when intense rainfall accumulates in a short time, as is expected on this occasion.