Heavy rains and intense hail
battered Italy from north to south on Sunday evening, causing
flooding, fallen trees, stranded drivers, and in Rome, snow-like
road surfaces in some areas.
Farmers' association Coldiretti called it a "calamity for
Italian farming" with millions of euros in losses.
It said hailstorms are the most feared weather event this
time of year due to their ability to wipe out an entire year's
harvest in a matter of minutes.
It said in the region of Lazio, violent hailstorms in
Palombara and Nerola destroyed the last of the olives that had
survived the spring freeze.
In Benevento, in the region of Campania, as well as in
Pescara, in the Abruzzo region, schools were ordered closed on
Monday due to the heavy rainfall.
On the island of Capri, flooding and high winds led to a
downed tree and a collapsed wall, but vessels were still running
to the island on Monday, despite high winds.
Firefighters in Palermo worked to clear downed trees and
assist stranded motorists due to flooding.
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