The bad weather in Northern Italy depends on the ‘Omega blockade’, that’s what it is
The bad weather that is hitting Italy is staying in the area for a long time because a 'block' has formed in Northern Europe linked to the positioning of high and low pressures: this is why it is called 'Omega'
BOLOGNA – The bad weather that is currently affecting Northern Italy, in particular Lombardy and Veneto, is a consequence of the ‘Omega blockade‘. Meaning what? To put it simply, the disturbance is struggling to ‘move’ due to a sort of block that has arisen in Scandinavia. And therefore it remains longer over Northern Italy.
The 3b meteo experts explain that it is “a particular positioning of high and low pressures” and write: “The disturbance that hit the North has suffered a strong slowdown , resulting in the persistence of bad weather in the same areas for several hours.” What is it due to? To “an anticyclone present over Scandinavia which acted as a real block”. Meanwhile, in parallel, “a second disturbance insists on eastern Europe”, which means that we are faced with a “large central anticyclone, with two low pressures on its flanks, and this is precisely the so-called ‘Omega block'”.
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IN LOMBARDY IN 15 HOURS THE RAIN OF A WHOLE MONTH
Italy, due to this so-called ‘Omega blockade’, is dealing with an unprecedented amount of rain. Almost. In fact, “on 30% of the regional territory an amount of rain fell in 15 hours equal to that of the entire month of May, but with peaks in some cases even double”, explains the meteorologist from Edoardo Ferrara 3b weather. “Peaks of over 120 millimeters were in fact recorded in a widespread and non-localised way from Lodigiano, Milanese, Brianza, Varesotto, with peaks even exceeding 200 millimetres. The same disturbance subsequently caused severe bad weather conditions between Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, also here with violent storms, hailstorms, storms, flooding and inconveniences”.
WHY IT’S CALLED OMEGA BLOCK
“The name derives from the letter of the Greek alphabet OmegA, explains meteorologistFrancesco Nucera of 3b meteo. The letter Omega, in fact, “has a shape similar to the ‘drawing’ generated by the load-bearing currents at high altitude”. The expert then continues, explaining that “these persistence regimes can last for a longer time, presenting different meteorological implications in low pressures or in high pressures. In the former, in fact, greater thermal contrasts are generated with clouds and even intense and persistent precipitation. On the other hand, in anticyclones there are sunny and stable weather conditions. In the case in question, the low pressure between France and Great Britain acts as a sort of energy pump , drawing in moisture from subtropical latitudes that serves to fuel clouds and precipitation.”
“In addition to the bad weather over Western Europe,Omega is also accompanying the descent of cold Arctic air masses from eastern Scandinavia towards Russiaand the far east of Europe, where in recent days winter has returned. During the spring there has been a clear change of scenario with the movement of anticyclones from the Mediterranean in favor of more unstable currents which has been observed frequently in recent years, with winter queues in spring or to disturbances that generateprolonged bad weatheras in May 2023″.