Italy is hit with deadly floods as ferocious 'water bomb' storm turns roads into rivers
By ADAM POGRUND,
Italy has been hit with deadly floods as intense 'water bomb' storms lash down on tourist hotspots causing bridges to crumble and sweeping cars away.
One man has tragically died after being dragged away by an overflowing river after a furious storm struck Sicily, turning roads into rivers.
The popular southern island has been inundated by aggressive rain and Matteo Ciurca, 40, was swept away by the swollen Crisa River in Leonforte, a small commune, after a 'water bomb' smashed the region.
Dramatic footage shows a bridge crumbling as heaps of rocks, concrete, water and other debris hit the ground during a heavy rainstorm.
Vehicles on the San Giuliano bridge near the picturesque town of Randazzo were left in peril as they waded through high waters while the bridge partly disintegrated on Sunday.
One white van can be seen struggling through high waters as rain lashes down and blocks of debris fall.
Another white car drives on as enormous mounds quickly fall from the viaduct.
The bridge, which was hit by similar damage during flooding in 2021, was swiftly closed by Italian authorities.
Vehicles on the San Giuliano bridge near the picturesque town of Randazzo were left in peril as they waded through high waters while the bridge partly disintegrated on Sunday
An enormous hailstorm lashed down on the popular Mediterranean tourist island of Sardinia
Italy has been hit with deadly floods as intense storms lash down on popular tourist hotspots
Anas, who manage the Italian road network, said the 'huge mass of water, which affected state and local roads, caused for the detachment of the valley parapet from the supporting structure of the bridge.'
Randazzo, located near Mount Etna, has around 8,000 residents who have since faced delayed access to emergency services, transport and schools as well as medicine shortages and other supplies, Italian media reports.
Meanwhile, Ciurca, who had been missing since Wednesday, was found by emergency services on Thursday.
Footage shows emergency workers carrying a body in a bag away in a stretcher.
The 40-year-old was reportedly on his way to feed his dogs in the countryside before being caught up in the floods.
'There was a water bomb,' Leonforte's mayor Piero Livolsi said.
Two people in another car caught up in the heavy waters managed to climb onto the roof of their vehicle to stave off the deadly waters.
Other regions in Italy have also been struck by intense weather.
Riccione, a town in the Rimini province in northern Italy, dealt with sudden strong storms that hit the Riviera Romagnola
Meanwhile, emergency services in Sicily continued to battle with wildfires after one broke out between the cities of Palermo and Trapani
Sicily battled six separate wildfires in just one week in July and the island has continued to be affected by intense heat
An enormous hailstorm lashed down on the popular Mediterranean tourist island of Sardinia.
Water gushed through residential areas in Pimentel, a small commune in the south of the island, as massive hailstorms up to 6cm big caused damage alongside gusts of winds and lightning.
Riccione, a town in the Rimini province in northern Italy, dealt with sudden strong storms that hit the Riviera Romagnola.
Roads were swamped with water as tourists fled from beaches while temperatures plummeted to a lowly 22C.
Italy has grappled with extreme weather throughout the summer.
Sicily battled six separate wildfires in just one week in July and on Thursday emergency services dealt with another wildfire which broke out between the cities of Palermo and Trapani.
Last month Italy banned outdoor work in the hottest parts of the day in over half of its regions as unbearable heat gripped large swathes of Europe.
And just four weeks ago landslides caused by flashfloods destroyed bridges, washed away cars and triggered an evacuation.
Last month Italy banned outdoor work in the hottest parts of the day in over half of its regions as unbearable heat gripped large swathes of Europe
Italy was last month hit by deadly 'water bomb' floods which saw roads submerged in water and mud
The Passiria Valley in northern Italy was flooded after over 100mm of rain fell in just a few hours.
Video footage taken of the floods in the region showed muddied water raging across the land.
Roads were submerged in water and mud, trapping cars that tried to ford the flow of rain.
One set of photos showed what appeared to be a building site of new homes in the valley having many of their structural materials rushed away by the flash floods.
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