Severe weather alert for October 22: hydrogeological risk in multiple regions

The severe weather shows no sign of letting up in Italy. For tomorrow, Wednesday, October 22, 2026, the Department of Civil Protection has issued a new National Meteorological Vigilance Bulletin forecasting critical conditions in several areas of the country. Widespread rainfall, including downpours or thunderstorms, is expected over Lombardy, northern Veneto, and Friuli Venezia Giulia, with moderate cumulative amounts. Intense phenomena will also affect northern Piedmont, Trentino Alto Adige, parts of Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and Basilicata.

The Atlantic disturbance will also bring a significant drop in temperatures to Central and Southern peninsular Italy, while the North will see a marked decrease in minimum temperatures, especially in the Alpine sectors. Winds will be strong, with storm-force gusts along the coasts of Tuscany, northern Sardinia, and the Apennine sectors. The seas will be rough, particularly the Ligurian Sea, the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, and the Southern Adriatic Sea.

Weather forecasts for civil protection purposes in Italy are a structured system aimed at preventing damage to people and property resulting from extreme events. This system is based on the joint work of the National Civil Protection Department and the individual Regions and Autonomous Provinces. Each day, the National Meteorological Vigilance Bulletin is prepared, which differs from ordinary weather forecasts because it specifically highlights potentially dangerous situations.

The process begins with an assessment of the expected meteorological phenomena (precipitation, winds, temperatures). Based on this data, each Region evaluates possible hydraulic and hydrogeological criticalities within its territory, such as flooding, landslides, or inundations. These assessments converge into the National Criticality/Alert Bulletin. It is then the responsibility of the Regions to disseminate alerts to local civil protection systems, while Mayors are tasked with activating municipal plans, informing the population, and deciding on the concrete actions to be taken to ensure citizen safety.