On Friday, a strong spring storm has caused widespread disruption throughout Europe’s Alpine area, impacting nations such as Italy, Switzerland, and France.
North Italy remains on high alert because of flooding
The weather system is pouring intense rainfall over northern Italy, particularly affecting areas like Piedmont, South Tyrol, and Lombardy, leading to floods.
In Valdagno town, a vehicle carried off by floodwaters resulted in the death of a father and his son.
In the Piedmont area, a 92-year-old man was found deceased on Thursday by firefighters following flooding at his residence. The region of Piedmont has set aside €5 million ($5.7 million) for urgent aid as a result of the storm.
Floodwaters led to evacuations in the Aosta Valley, where 6,400 individuals were left without power as reported by Italy’s ANSA news outlet. Situated east of France and below Switzerland, this valley was significantly affected.
Several parks in Milan, located in the northern part of Italy, were shut down because of high wind speeds and potential flooding. Meanwhile, people living in Turin, a city in the northwest, were advised to remain indoors.
The Zermatt resort in the Swiss Alps experienced electrical blackouts.
In Switzerland, the mountain town of Zermatt located in the south within the Valais canton experienced disruptions in electricity and telephone networks because of significant snowfall. The severe weather conditions also led to roads being blocked off from Zermatt.
In Sion, which is part of Valais, 36,000 inhabitants were advised to remain at home due to the adverse weather conditions.
At the French ski resort of Val Thorens, a woman had a heart attack when she was struck by an avalanche, which resulted in her death.
As people across Europe pause for the Easter holiday weekend, the storm arrives, causing train services to experience delays.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic
Author: Wesley Dockery (along with contributions from AFP, dpa, and local media)