Extreme Weather in Italy, Switzerland: Floods, and Tragic Losses

Extreme weather: Several deaths in northern Italy

Floods, landslides, mountains of snow. Several people have died from Extreme Weather in northern Italy following extreme rainfall. In the Swiss Alps, more than 1.5 meters of fresh snow fell in some places until the night of Good Friday. Many roads in the border region remain closed.

Images from northern Italy show masses of muddy water foaming at high speed through a riverbed. The water floods entire streets or rushes threateningly high past house facades.

Father and son swept away

Three men did not survive the storm in Rome Italy. Two of them were driving near Vicenza to volunteer during the storms when they fell through a hole on a partially collapsed bridge into the water. Father and son were swept away by the floodwaters. A man had previously been found dead in Piedmont. Apparently, the 92-year-old had not made it out of his house in time when a nearby stream overflowed its banks.

Houses evacuated and roads closed from Extreme Weather

Just under 600 liters per square meter of rain fell in northern Italy in recent days. The Italian meteorological service reported heavy rain, which turned to snow above 1,800 meters. Winds reached speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour. The highway between Turin and Aosta was partially flooded and closed. Many roads will remain closed for the time being through the Easter weekend – due to flooding, landslides, avalanches, or snow.

In Milan, parks were closed due to falling trees and branches. In the Aosta Valley, houses and stables had to be evacuated because rivers threatened to overflow their banks.

Even though the Italian environmental agency has given the all-clear for now, the German Federal Foreign Office has nevertheless issued a travel warning to affected areas. The northernmost regions of Lombardy and South Tyrol are no longer under warning status. Only a warning has been issued for Piedmont, the region most affected by the rain.

” The heaviest amounts of precipitation have passed. In some places, almost 600 liters of rain per square meter fell within just four days – with a focus west of Lake Maggiore. In addition, there was heavy snowfall in the higher elevations, with some areas dropping more than one and a half meters of new snow ,” says WDR meteorologist Jürgen Vogt.

The situation eased over the weekend: ” In the coming days, after a temporary dry period, quantities of up to 80 liters per square meter are expected. However, this is manageable compared to the previous quantities. “

Extreme weather conditions also in Switzerland

In the Swiss canton of Valais, snow and water masses, as well as landslides and fallen trees, continued to cause chaos: Numerous roads and railway lines were closed, and all schools in the canton remained closed as a precaution. More than 1.5 meters of fresh snow fell in some areas overnight. The danger of avalanches remains.

Several municipalities were also temporarily without power, including the ski resort of Zermatt. It is cut off from the outside world. The mobile phone network also failed. The canton is advising Easter vacationers to postpone their arrival.

In the cantonal capital of Sion, many streets were closed to cars and pedestrians due to rain and snowfall. The 36,000 residents were advised to stay home as a precaution.

The Simplon Pass and the Great St. Bernard Pass, which connect Valais with Italy’s Aosta Valley, were closed due to heavy snowfall. The Simplon Tunnel and the Great St. Bernard Tunnel have also been closed since Wednesday evening for safety reasons. 

Disabilities also in France

In France, the Savoie department on the border with Italy, the weather service Météo-France issued the second-highest avalanche warning level on Wednesday evening due to heavy snowfall . A 27-year-old British man was caught in an avalanche while driving his car in the French region of Savoy and died on Thursday.

The fatal accident occurred in the Val Thorens ski resort; the Briton’s car was swept 15 meters away. He was transported to a hospital in Grenoble but died shortly afterwards, according to the relevant public prosecutor. Two more avalanches occurred in the Les Menuires ski resort near Val Thorens. An avalanche warning remained in effect in Savoy on Good Friday, and the prefecture called for extreme vigilance due to the unstable snowpack.

In total, approximately 5,000 households in France were temporarily without power, and several roads were closed due to fallen trees. On Friday, 1,000 households were still without power. The A43 motorway was closed to trucks.

After heavy rainfall: At least three dead in storms in Italy Extreme Weather

The death toll from the storms in northern Italy has risen to three. The Extreme Weather situation is improving in some areas. However, the Swiss town of Zermatt continues to battle with heavy snow.

At least three people have died in the storms of the past few days in northern Italy . Near Valdagno in the Veneto region, two men were swept away by the floodwaters in their car. All help came too late.

The fire department reported that a 64-year-old man and his 33-year-old son were the victims. A 92-year-old man was found drowned in his home near Turin on Thursday.

Still water in the streets

The weather conditions eased somewhat on Friday. However, many rivers were still overflowing their banks. In numerous communities, water filled the streets. Several dozen people had to be evacuated by rescue workers. Power was also still out in many places. The particularly affected region of Piedmont provided five million euros in emergency aid.

It was still raining in many places – but not as much as before. In other regions, such as South Tyrol, the sun was already shining again. The heavy rains had also caused significant disruptions to train traffic between Italy and Switzerland shortly before Easter. However, the situation gradually returned to normal.

One dead in avalanche in France

In France, a 27-year-old British man died in an avalanche. He was caught in the falling snow while driving his car in the French region of Savoy. The unseasonably harsh winter weather caused more than a meter of snow to fall at higher altitudes. The Mont Blanc Tunnel was closed, and more than 5,000 French households temporarily lost power. 

The fatal accident occurred in the Val Thorens ski resort; the Briton’s car was swept 15 meters. He was transported to a hospital in Grenoble but died shortly afterwards, according to the relevant public prosecutor. Two more avalanches occurred in the Les Menuires ski resort near Val Thorens. An avalanche warning remained in effect in Savoy on Good Friday, and the prefecture called for extreme vigilance due to the unstable snowpack.

Problems in Zermatt

Heavy snowfall also occurred in higher-altitude regions of Switzerland . However, the situation there has eased. However, the winter sports resort of Zermatt remains inaccessible. A spokeswoman for Zermatt Tourism said there is still no electricity in many areas. Furthermore, important traffic routes such as the Simplon Pass and the Great St. Bernard Tunnel are still closed, authorities said.

The danger of avalanches at all altitudes, as well as the risk of falling trees, was very high, it was reported. More than half a meter of fresh snow fell in some areas on Thursday.

---

Sources used:

• With material from the News agencies  Swiss Radio and Television, SRF, dpa and AFP, Reuters news agency, BBC News and CNN reports. The content has been independently analyzed and rewritten to provide original insights.
• WDR weather department
• Interview with WDR meteorologist Jürgen Vogt
• Italian Environmental Agency, ARPA
• German Weather Service

---