One Fatality and Eight Regions on High Alert as Severe Weather Hits Italy
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Rome, Dec 24 (NationPress) A 45-year-old woman tragically died and another person was hospitalized after being hit by a fallen tree due to fierce winds in Italy, as confirmed by local authorities.
The incident took place in a park adjacent to a children's playground in eastern Rome on Monday, according to state-run Rai News 24. An investigation for involuntary manslaughter has been initiated by Rome's prosecution office.
In a separate event in Ancona, located in central Italy, winds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour knocked over a tree that fell onto three empty buses parked in the vicinity, reported the local emergency center.
Currently, eight regions in Italy are under a yellow alert for potential hazards due to extreme weather conditions, as stated by the national Civil Protection warning system. The agency pointed out the risks of hydrogeological issues and strong winds affecting regions like central Abruzzo, southern Calabria, and Sicily, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Additionally, authorities in northern Lombardy have issued an orange alert for Milan, cautioning about similar dangers on Monday and Tuesday.
The Italian Department of Civil Protection, in collaboration with regional authorities, has released warnings regarding severe weather, particularly anticipating gale-force winds and possible flooding.
The alerts primarily affect the Marche region, where yellow weather warnings have been validated by forecasts of strong winds from the north, with gusts between 76-87 km/h. Residents have been warned about potential coastal flooding as localized waves could create significant threats along the shoreline.
Severe weather conditions, which may lead to hydrogeological challenges and flooding, have compelled the Department of Civil Protection to extend yellow alerts to central and southern Italy, especially in areas affected by the floods of the Secchia and Reno rivers.
The adverse weather has also affected the coasts of central Molise, where heavy rainfall and a sharp decrease in temperatures have been observed. Ferry services to the Tremiti Islands were suspended due to turbulent seas.
