Firefighters report 'very difficult situation' in Milan

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 25 - Firefighters reported a "very difficult situation" in and around Milan on Tuesday morning after a new bout of extreme bad weather bought gales, hail storms and heavy rainfall to the area.
    The fire brigade said they had been making "non-stop interventions for several days", with the situation exacerbated by Monday night's storm.
    On Tuesday morning the emergency service said it had received over 200 requests for help throughout the metropolitan area since 4 am due to fallen trees, flooding, and damage to homes.
    Elsewhere in the northern Lombardy region a 16-year-old girl was killed by a falling tree while sleeping in a tent during a scout camp in Cedegolo, near Brescia.
    The situation was also reported to be critical in the northern regions of Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, where a 16-year-old boy was hit by a falling branch in Zimella and seven people were taken to hospital with injuries following a heavy hailstorm.
    "The hail destroyed roofs, cars, industrial and craftsmen's facilities," said Veneto Governor Luca Zaia.
    "In the countryside it has wiped out crops, vineyards, orchards and greenhouses. Railway services have been suspended between Brescia and Padua," he added, thanking emergency responders and calling for economic support for the affected areas.
    Italy remained divided in two on Tuesday, with extreme heat still gripping southern and central regions and thunderstorms, gales and hail in the north. (ANSA).