After the tragic flooding in Genua on 13th October 2014, many other areas in Northern Italy were hit by strong storms and the areas of Varese, Como, Lecco, Brescia, Pavia and Parma had to deal with particularly difficult situations caused by the heavy rain.
(Photo: 3Bmeteo.com).
A tornado hit the Mantua area damaging houses, roads and warehouses. There was a strong storm in the Pavia area, and hail and wind damaged the orchards were apples and pears had still to be harvested. Some ditches overflowed and various areas were flooded.
"We still had to harvest pomelle genovesi, a local apple variety. The fruit is indeed damaged, but it is still too difficult to make an assessment," explains Simone Rolandi, who cultivates 8 hectares of orchards.
"It was the deathblow to an already difficult year because of rain and cold temperatures. Pomelle and golden apples are lost, just like the grapes. The fields that were ready for sowing are flooded," explains Luciano Rosina.
According to Coldiretti Alessandria, the lower Piedmont has also been affected. "This is caused by the fact that land is abandoned and by uncontrolled urbanisation."
Heavy rain, strong wind and a few hailstorms also hit the Veneto.
In the meantime, the Minister for Agricultural Policy Maurizio Martina said there is no particular damage to the agricultural sector in Liguria following the latest flood that hit Genoa, but stressed the importance of passing a law concerning the exploitation of agricultural soil.
The Puglia Region has declared the state of agricultural crisis for some municipalities in the Bari and Brindisi areas following the heavy rain and hailstorms that hit the area in the past few days.
The weather in the North of the peninsula should finally improve, and the situation should remain stable in the South temperatures often above 25°C.