The Verona area was hit by bad weather on September 1st, 2018. In some areas, hail fell uninterrupted for 45 minutes while, in others, the heavy rain led to the collapse of orchard structures and caused floods.
According to Consorzio di Bonifica Veronese data, over 170 mm of rain fell in just three hours in the area between Negrar and Verona, while over 100 mm fell south of the city in Roverchiara, Zevio, Ronco, Palù and Oppeano.
"Phenomena such as this one are rare in this area. The harvesting of apples was in full swing and kiwis were still on the trees. We're still assessing the damage," reveals Fruitimprese Veneto President Stefano Pezzo.
Tobia Poletto is a producer from the area south of Zevio. "We were lucky, but 5 km north the situation is tragic, especially since hailstorms have swept the area twice over the past few weeks. The heavy rain soaked the soil, so much so that anchoring structures have collapsed."
Dante Lupato from Agricon reports that many orchards have been hit badly. What makes the loss of produce even worse is the fact that many structures have been compromised.