A violent storm hit northern Italy on Sunday, killing a 63-year-old woman in the town of Robecchetto con Induno, west of Milan. According to local firefighters, the victim was fatally injured by a falling tree while returning from a walk. Two other people who were with her were injured in the incident and taken to hospital.
The storm, which came after several days of intense heat, caused widespread damage in the region. Emergency services reported having already handled around fifty emergency calls, while another 37 were still underway this afternoon. The main causes of calls were trees threatening to collapse, flooded cellars and taverns, and advertising billboards torn off by particularly violent gusts of wind.
The Italian news agency Ansa reports that other regions in the north and center of the country have been affected by similar phenomena. In Veneto, heavy rains hit the areas around Belluno and Vicenza. In Tuscany, several trees were also blown down by the force of the winds.
While severe weather raged in the north, southern Italy remained sweltering in persistent heat, with temperatures approaching 30°C, particularly in Rome. This meteorological instability illustrates the marked climatic contrasts currently affecting the country.
The episode is part of an early heatwave that has been hitting Europe for several days. Authorities have already recorded at least eight deaths linked to the extreme conditions across the continent, highlighting once again the growing impact of climate change on the frequency and intensity of weather events.
