A cyclone from North Africa has hit Italy in recent days.
In recent days, it has been raining heavily in parts of the country and is expected to continue through Thursday. The worst will be in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region, hard hit by the floods.
According to Italian ANSA have so far lost five people in the storm, while four people are missing. At least 900 people must be evacuated.
In Venice, the authorities are now mobilizing to protect the city.
Dramatic situation in several places
Isolated
Last night, more than 150 millimeters of rain fell on the northern Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche in less than 48 hours.
The most dramatic situation is in the city of Cesena in Emilia-Romagna, where the Savio river overflowed, writes The Republic.
In several cities in northern Italy, people have taken refuge on the roofs to escape the violent masses of water, and the rescue services are working to evacuate them, writes Aftonbladet.
FLOODED: An overview image of Italian fire crews shows flooded homes in Cesena, in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, on Tuesday. Photo: Vigili del Fuoco via AP/NTB
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The town of Lutirano in Tuscany must be completely isolated as the roads out of town are blocked after landslides.
The Po, Italy’s longest river, flows through northern Italy and empties into the Adriatic Sea at Venice. Due to the large bodies of water, the popular tourist town is now springing into action. Here, large movable barriers are placed in the Venice lagoon in hopes of saving the city from flooding, writes AP.
HOLIDAY PARADISE DESTROYED: Rimini, on the northeast coast of Italy, is among the hardest hit cities. Photo: BNT
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– I am thinking of the people of Emilia-Romagna and other regions hard hit by bad weather. I am in close contact with the Defense Directorate which, together with the Interior and Civil Defense, participates in the rescue and first aid agencies, writes Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Twitter.
Formula 1 canceled
The weekend’s World Cup rounds in Formula 1 and Formula 2 were canceled on Wednesday due to flooding.
The Formula 1 organizer confirms the decision to cancel on its channels.
“The Formula 1 family would like to send their thoughts to the people and communities affected by the events in the Emilia-Romagna region. We also want to show our support for the aid agencies who are doing all they can to reach those in need of assistance,” a statement read, according to NTB.
RESCUE WORK: Fire crews attempt to cross a flooded road near the town of Faenza in early May. Photo: Michele Nucci/LaPresse via AP/NTB
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EVACUATED: The inhabitants are rescued by rescue teams on the night of May 17. Photo: AFP/NTB
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