Civil Protection alert in 14 regions: Italy in the grip of bad weather

By Cristiano Antonino On May 16, 2023

Civil Protection issues weather alert for 14 regions: maximum attention in Emilia-Romagna where the alert is red, orange on Marche, Campania and Sicily

Civil Protection weather alert, here’s what’s happening

The low-pressure area centred over Italy will continue, even today, to determine a phase of bad weather, with frequent rainfall in the North-East and on the southern Tyrrhenian sectors and a strengthening of the ventilation over most of the Peninsula.

On the basis of the 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 weather warning integrating and extending the one issued yesterday.

The weather phenomena, impacting on the different areas of the country, could determine hydrogeological and hydraulic criticalities that are reported, in a national summary, in the national bulletin of criticality and alert that can be consulted on the Department’s website (www.protezionecivile.gov.it).

The warning foresees, from the early hours of today, Tuesday 16 May, strong to gale force winds from the northern quadrants over Liguria, from the eastern quadrants over Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and from the western quadrants over Campania.

Sea storms along the exposed coasts. Scattered to widespread rainfall, even in the form of showers or thunderstorms, is forecast in Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, eastern Tuscany, Umbria, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria, with heavy accumulations in eastern Emilia-Romagna and northern Marche.

The phenomena will be accompanied by heavy showers, frequent electrical activity and possible hail.

WEATHER ALERT FOR TUESDAY 16 MAY

On the basis of current and expected phenomena, a red alert has been assessed for tomorrow, Tuesday 16 May, in a large part of Emilia-Romagna.

Orange alert over parts of Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Campania and Sicily.

A yellow alert has also been issued in Veneto, Lombardy, Tuscany, Lazio, Apulia, the entire territory of Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, Calabria and the remaining areas of Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Campania and Sicily.

Weather, advice from the Civil Protection in Emilia-Romagna for citizens facing a red alert

The invitation to the entire population is to move around little; do not go into basements but stay on upper floors; do not move cars after the rain has started to fall, and do so by midnight today if possible.

The advice is to resort to smartworking, where possible, in agreement with employers.

In the face of the alert, a very extensive organisational presence has been activated.

Locations have been identified where men and vehicles can be housed, in order to be immediately operational in case of need and close to the places most under observation.

The mobile columns of the Civil Protection of Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli, the Autonomous Province of Trento and the national associations have already been activated. They will be stationed respectively at the Cup in Marzaglia (Mo), the Cup in Forlì, the Civil Protection warehouse in Calderara di Reno (Bo) and in Faenza (Ra). Officials from the Region of Tuscany and Calabria are also arriving.

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