Powerful storms in Italy / Around 40,000 lightning strikes in Liguria, one hits train to Rome

A wave of severe weather has swept across Liguria, Italy, where around 40,000 lightning strikes have been recorded. More than 20,000 of them were registered in the Genoa area alone.

Lightning also struck the Frecciabianca 8601 train, which had departed from Genoa for Rome. Due to a technical fault, the train stopped in the Tigullio area, while passengers were transferred to another train to continue their journey.

The storm brought heavy rainfall to the region, with more than 60 millimeters of rain recorded in mountainous areas. In Chiavari, 103 millimeters of rain fell within one hour, causing flooding and forcing authorities to close several underpasses.

Problems were also reported in Chiavari, in the province of Genoa. Civil Protection authorities are monitoring the situation, but so far no emergency has been reported, despite the difficulties caused by the weather.

Weather conditions also affected operations at Genoa Airport, where several flights were delayed. An aircraft that had departed from Bucharest was diverted to Pisa during the early hours of the day.

Meteorologists warn that the worsening weather has not yet ended. After a possible pause in rainfall during Thursday, the situation is expected to deteriorate again on Friday, with more intense rain and severe storms along the coast.

Unstable weather has also been recorded in central and northern Tuscany. The Regional Civil Protection Operations Center has issued an orange alert for severe storms from 22:00 on Thursday, August 20, until 18:00 on Friday, August 21.

In the rest of Tuscany, a yellow alert will remain in effect throughout Friday. The region’s president, Eugenio Giani, announced the measures on social media, also notifying the public of a yellow alert for the risk of flooding along the main river system in central Tuscany.