Bad weather: weather alert in Piedmont, Liguria and Emilia-Romagna

Widespread and persistent rainfall, locally also thunderstorms, particularly in Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Liguria and Sardinia

ROME – An Atlantic depression structure, present between France and the western Mediterranean, continues to project a flow of highly unstable southern currents towards the western regions of Italy, causing widespread and persistent precipitation, locally even thunderstorms, in particular in Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta, Liguria and Sardinia.
On the basis of available forecasts, the Civil Protection Department in agreement with the regions involved – which are responsible for activating the civil protection systems in the territories concerned – has issued a further adverse weather warning which follows and extends the one issued in recent days. Weather phenomena, impacting the different areas of the country, could determine hydrogeological and hydraulic criticalities that are reported, in a national summary, in the national criticality and alert bulletin available on the Department’s website (www.protezionecivile.gov.it).

The warning foresees from today afternoon, Saturday 26 October, the persistence of scattered to widespread precipitation, also in the form of showers or thunderstorms, on Piedmont and Liguria, extending to Valle d’Aosta and Sardinia. The phenomena will be accompanied by heavy showers, frequent electrical activity and strong gusts of wind.
On the basis of the forecasted and ongoing phenomena, an orange alert has been assessed for tomorrow, Sunday 27 October on some areas of Piedmont, Liguria and in the Po Delta area in Emilia-Romagna. Furthermore, a yellow alert has been assessed for most of Sardinia and for areas of Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Tuscany.

The weather and criticality picture expected for Italy is updated daily based on new forecasts and the evolution of phenomena, and is available on the website of the Department of Civil Protection (www.protezionecivile.gov.it), together with the general rules of conduct to be followed in case of bad weather. The information on regional alert levels, on specific critical issues that could affect individual territories and on the prevention actions adopted are managed by the territorial civil protection structures, in contact with which the Department will follow the evolution of the situation.

PO RISING IN PIEDMONT, ON THE DELTA STILL THRESHOLD 2 FOR 36-48 HOURS

Based on the rainfall forecast in the western area of the basin, an increase in the levels of the Piedmontese Po is estimated, with the possible exceeding of the criticality threshold 1 (ordinary, yellow color) over the next 24 hours Aipo reports this, adding that in the branches of the delta the levels are decreasing, which however will remain above or close to threshold 2 for the next 36-48 hours. For this reason, caution is advised in the areas adjacent to the river and in navigation activities.
The evolution of the situation continues to be monitored by the central and territorial offices of Aipo, in coordination with the regional and local civil protection systems.