Storms caused massive disruption in
many parts of Italy on Thursday, with tornadoes battering
Civitavecchia and the province of Verona side of Lake Garda and
torrential rain causing flooding and mudslides in the province
of Como.
Firefighters had to intervene in many areas due to trees that
were blown over or rendered dangerous by gale-force winds.
Flood and landslides hit Como and the nearby towns of Torno and
Blevio, pouring mud and debris into residential areas, with the
extreme weather striking the same area affected by similar
storms a year ago.
"Water got in everywhere," said an eye-witness in Blevio.
"All it took was an hour of rainfall for all hell to break
loose".
The Lariana state highway had to be closed to traffic and the
storms also caused major problems in the Lecco area.
Scientists say that extreme weather events like these are
becoming more intense and more frequently because of climate
change caused by human activity.
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