Extreme Weather Battering Europe

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
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Parts of the UK, France and Italy are inundated as extreme rain events wreak havoc across Europe

The Environment Agency in the UK has issued hundreds of flood warnings and flood alerts including 9 severe flood warnings (danger to life) along the coastal areas.

Severe flooding is expected in the lower reaches of the River Severn in Gloucestershire as a result of high tidal levels combined with high river levels. Conditions are expected to result in danger to life due to flood bank over-topping and fast flowing water, and severe disruption to transport with a risk of motorists becoming stranded. High tides, a positive surge, strong winds and large waves combine to bring a risk of significant flooding for coastal communities throughout Wales and in Dorset, Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire and the north coasts of Devon and Cornwall Saturday.  —environment-agency.gov.uk

Italy

In Italy, at least 1,000 homes were evacuated in the city of Pisa as the Arno river threatened to burst its banks, and floodwaters submerged vast swathes of the countryside.

Floodwaters also inundated parts of Florence, and nearby towns, forcing the schools to remain closed on Friday.

Authorities in Venice are bracing for high tides, exacerbated by heavy rains, rising to more than 140cm above the average sea level.

France

“The French department of Finistere, in the west of the country, was placed on red alert as forecasters warned of huge waves and extensive flooding. Ten other French departments were also on alert for rising water levels,” reported Bbc.

The downpour has swollen rivers in Tuscany causing widespread flooding and leaving more than 1,000 homes inundated.

Blizzard

Meanwhile, snow storms, high winds and bitter cold continued to batter Eastern Europe prompting the local and national authorities to issue multiple states of emergency for the region.

In Romania, most parts of the country remained under states of emergency as temperatures plummeted to -22ºC and authorities ordered schools closed in the south, south-east and eastern regions.

The blizzard is said to be one of the worst in living memory with winds of about 70 km/hr reducing visibility to 20 meters.