Rome

Italy has been bracing for the latest round of extreme weather, with heavy rains and potential flooding forecast for large parts of central and northern Italy. Meanwhile, high temperatures were predicted in the south.

Italian civil protection officials on Wednesday said that two thunderstorm systems would be moving over the country this week, resulting in red alerts for flooding in the northeastern regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Orange alerts have been issued across large parts of northwestern and central Italy, including Milan, source reported.

The coming thunderstorms are likely to spark floods that could close roads, interrupt commercial and passenger sea transport, and damage crops. The forecast comes after several days of heavy rainfall over much of northern Italy.

Additionally, the canal city of Venice has been repeatedly threatened by sea levels up to 1.54 meters above normal levels, but significant damage was averted due to the city’s high-tech flood barriers.

In the south, October saw unseasonal high temperatures surpassing 35 degrees Celsius on multiple occasions. In Sicily, although October temperatures were cooler than the all-time high recorded in July and August, the averages in some parts of the island were nearly ten degrees higher than historical norms, reports said.

The weather in Sicily has also been unusually dry and multiple wildfires were reported this week, following widespread fires throughout the long and dry summer.