Severe storms have swept through central Europe, now impacting Italy, with authorities issuing warnings for heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flooding across much of the nation.
Flooding has already affected the central city of Pescara, with weather alerts spanning from the northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the southern regions.
These warnings follow devastating floods earlier this week in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Austria, resulting in at least 21 fatalities.
Authorities in Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia are also bracing for potential flooding in the coming days.
The devastating floods have been attributed to Storm Boris, which unleashed substantial rain and snow over the weekend.
In Poland, over 5,000 soldiers are deployed to assist residents, including the evacuation of 40,000 people from the town of Nysa.
While floodwaters are receding in some areas, they are rising in others, revealing the extent of the devastation in towns like Glucholazy.
In Glucholazy, the main bridge collapsed, and many streets are now submerged in mud.
Polish authorities have confirmed the deaths of at least six individuals amidst conflicting reports of higher casualty figures. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has declared a month-long natural disaster, anticipating that Wroclaw will face significant flooding on Wednesday.
Areas along the Czech-Polish border are particularly hard-hit, with 15,000 evacuations reported in the Czech Republic. This flooding is among the worst the country has seen in 27 years.
The city of Ostrava experienced severe impacts after the Oder River overflowed following heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, water levels are rising rapidly in the Danube River in Slovakia and Hungary, prompting preparations for possible flooding in Bratislava and Budapest.
Emergency services and volunteers, supported by the military, are working tirelessly to protect low-lying areas in the region.
Austrian authorities have shut down sections of the Danube to shipping due to elevated water levels. Croatian officials have warned of a potentially “extremely rare” rise in water levels and are ready to deploy flood barriers if necessary.
In Italy, the National Civil Protection Service has issued yellow alerts for nearly 50 regions, cautioning about the risk of storms, landslides, and flooding.
Experts have pointed out that river levels have peaked in many smaller rivers affected by the storms, while larger rivers, including the Danube and Oder, continue to rise.
Forecasts indicate that the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions could receive one or two months’ worth of rainfall over just three days, raising serious concerns about imminent flooding.
Firefighters in Pescara have reported over 200 requests for assistance as heavy rains trigger widespread flooding.
Moreover, additional rainfall is expected in Romania’s eastern Carpathians, threatening already vulnerable towns and villages in Galati and Vaslui counties.
As extreme rainfall becomes increasingly frequent across central Europe, scientists emphasize that these weather events align with expectations tied to climate change.
While it is difficult to assess the precise impact of climate change on these specific events, experts warn that rising global temperatures are likely to exacerbate flooding risks in the future.
A warmer atmosphere can hold significantly more moisture, contributing to heavier rainfall. For every 1°C increase in global average temperature, the atmosphere can contain approximately 7% more moisture.
Experts predict that climate change will lead to more severe flooding, noting that extreme summer downpours are filling rivers at an accelerated pace.
Recent weather patterns highlight the rapid shift from severe droughts and heatwaves to intense flooding, demonstrating the extreme variability of climate impacts.
