A violent storm of hail and winds of more than 140km/h leaves 110 injured and multiple damages in Italy

A strong storm with large hail, rain and winds of more than 140 km/h hit Veneto, in northeastern Italy, this Wednesday night, resulting in 110 injuries, authorities in the area reported in a note.

“The number of injured with injuries due to hail, falls and broken glass rises to 110. Once again I thank the rescuers and technicians who intervened immediately after the events and who continue at this time with the restoration work and damage census,” the president of the region, Luca Zaia, said in a statement.

The wind and hail, which was the size of tennis balls, also caused significant material damage to vehicles, roofs, trees in urban areas, greenhouses, crops and forests, according to local media.

“In the Cadore forest alone (on the border with Austria) a whirlwind has knocked down hundreds of trees that will need 30 to 40 years to recover, while hail has devastated meadows and pastures,” lamented Italy's main farmers' association, Coldiretti.

Throughout the night the firefighters, who needed reinforcements from other regions, received more than 350 calls for help. Starting early this Thursday morning, the authorities began restoration and quantification work on the economic damage caused by the storm.

The downburst phenomenon

The violent storm has impacted the region in the midst of a heat wave in Italy, which has triggered thermometers to temperatures never seen in many areas of the country. This has been the key ingredient for the formation of the storm.

The meteorological phenomenon that has shocked Veneto is called a 'downburst', a climatic event typical of subtropical countries and which is created when the currents of a storm meet hot air, which generates very violent precipitation and strong gusts of wind.

Meanwhile, in the center and south of the country, cities such as Rome, Bologna, Florence, Naples and Palermo remain on red alert due to extreme heat, with temperatures that may exceed 40 degrees for the third consecutive day.