ISTANBUL

One person was killed and dozens of others were injured as violent storms swept across northern Italy over the weekend, triggering widespread flooding, landslides, and transport disruptions.

One woman was killed in Milan after being struck by a falling tree, while firefighters responded to thousands of calls across multiple regions, Italian news agency Rai reported on Monday.

Authorities issued an orange-level weather alert for Lombardy, Veneto, and Friuli Venezia Giulia on Sunday, warning of intense thunderstorms, strong winds, and the risk of flash floods.

A yellow alert remains in place for several other regions, including Campania, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Liguria, and Trentino-Alto Adige.

In Lombardy, firefighters carried out more than 500 interventions since Saturday afternoon, mainly in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, and Varese.

Operations included the removal of dangerous trees, response to water damage, and securing unstable structures.

In Milan, two municipal workers were injured while pruning storm-damaged trees.

Meanwhile, rail traffic between Milan and Bologna was temporarily disrupted after an Italo high-speed train was struck by lightning near Melegnano. Delays of up to 270 minutes were recorded before operations resumed at midnight.

In Alto Adige’s Val Senales region, a large mudslide swept away two vehicles on a provincial road, leaving the area of Maso Corto temporarily cut off. Firefighters freed the trapped passengers, and no injuries were reported.

Heavy rainfall and wind gusts exceeding 110 km/h were recorded in Friuli Venezia Giulia, causing local flooding, landslides, and rockfalls. In Cansiglio, 165 mm of rain fell within hours. Trees were downed and roads blocked in Trieste, Spilimbergo, and Lignano Sabbiadoro.

In Novara, the roof of a terrace was torn off a building and thrown into the street, damaging parked vehicles. Elsewhere, a landslide in Como brought 50 cubic meters of debris next to a residential building. No injuries were reported.

Tuscany recorded over 27,000 lightning strikes within 12 hours, with emergency crews still operating in San Gimignano and surrounding areas after localized flooding.

The Italian Civil Protection has urged residents to avoid areas near rivers, underpasses, and scaffolding.

The intense heat lingering in the southern regions is expected to ease by Wednesday, as cooler air spreads across the country.