LATEST: Two dead as flash floods hit Italy's northern Veneto region
The two residents, whom Italian media described as being father and son, "were swept away in their car near their home" in Valdagno, a small town northwest of Vicenza, according to Italy's fire service.
The Agno stream, which runs through Valdagno, burst its banks late on Thursday after the area was lashed by torrential rainfall for hours on end.
This triggered widespread flooding at multiple locations across town, with water surging through the streets and sweeping vehicles away.
According to Il Fatto Quotidiano, the two victims were assisting the local Civil Protection service in the Ponte dei Nori area when their car was submerged and dragged away by flood water.
Veneto's President Luca Zaia said on Friday morning that the situation in the Vicenza province continued to be "critical".
Heavy rainfall pummelled the north of Italy on Thursday, with swathes of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley hit by flash floods.
A 92-year-old man was found dead in Monteu da Po, northeast of Turin, after he remained trapped inside his home following severe flooding, according to Italian media reports.
The victim was believed to have drowned, reports said.
Piedmont President Alberto Cirio said late on Thursday that he had asked the government to declare a regional state of emergency to address 'the significant damage' caused by the wave of extreme weather.
Italian news agency Ansa said that 6,400 households in the region were without electricity on Friday morning.
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Local Italy
09-07-2025
- Local Italy
Six effective ways to beat the heat in Italy without air conditioning
Air conditioning isn't traditionally used in Italy – partly because of the amount of energy it consumes, partly because of a longstanding belief that if you're exposed to cold currents, the dreaded colpo d'aria or 'cold air blast' will make you ill. As climate change brings increasingly intense and long-lasting summer heatwaves to Southern Europe, however, things are slowly changing. The most recent data from Italy's national statistics office shows that in 2023, around 40 percent of Italian homes had AC units installed (60 in southern regions such as Sicily and Calabria, and 30 in cooler northern regions like Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta). Though that's more than double the number recorded in 2010, air conditioning is still nowhere near as ubiquitous as in countries like the US, where roughly nine in ten households have an AC unit. If you own an Italian home, you could install your own AC system – but if you're renting, you'll first need to get permission from your landlord. Even homeowners are subject to rules and restrictions on installing AC units, especially if the property is old or located in a historic area. With that in mind, here are some alternative ways to stay cool when the next canicola hits. Shutters Shutters – known as persiane or serrande – can be found almost everywhere in Italy. Used correctly, they do a great job of keeping the interior cool: the trick is to keep both the windows and the shutters closed during the day to keep out the hot air and sunlight. You can then open shutters and windows in the evening or early morning, when the air outside is cooler, to ventilate the room. If you live in a small apartment, it's better to keep internal doors closed too so that any heat generated by cooking doesn't filter into the bedroom, which you ideally want as cool as possible so that you can sleep. Fans Fans (ventilatori) are common in Italian homes, especially in the south, where many properties have ceiling fans already installed. 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Although the initial installation may be expensive, running costs are very low. There are several tax incentives available Insulation It might sound counter-intuitive to be talking about insulation during a heatwave, but just like heat pumps, good insulation keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. If you're a tenant, there are limits on the amount of work you can do, but if you're a property owner, you can check that your home is properly insulated and that the windows fit well and keep out drafts. As with heat pumps, there are tax incentives available to help with insulation costs. When buying or renting a place, check out its energy rating score. A home that has a D rating or below is likely to be cold in winter and hot and stuffy in summer. Dehumidifiers Italian cities and inland towns and villages can get very humid during the summer, making temperatures feel several degrees hotter than they are. Dehumidifiers don't actually lower the room temperature. In fact, they release a small amount of heat as the exhaust vents back into the room. But if you're in an area with high humidity, removing moisture from the air can make the heat feel much more bearable. You can buy portable dehumidifiers of varying sizes from most major electronics stores in Italy. Eliminate heat bridges If you have a balcony or terrace covered in heat-sucking concrete and a glass door or window right next to it, this is likely creating a 'heat bridge', funnelling heat directly into your home. You can counter this effect by keeping outdoor spaces connected to your home cool: for example, by replacing concrete with wood panelling or using a parasol or awning to keep the outdoor space shady, lowering the temperature inside. Plants can also play a big role in keeping the area around your windows cool. The greener your outdoor space, the better. Consider leafy plants that block sunlight in the summer, but lose their foliage in the winter (giving you more sun during the cold seasons). If you need some more immediate relief while you consider which option is best for you, the best course of action is to head straight to your nearest gelateria for some ice cream – which in fact is part of the Italian government's official advice for staying cool in a heatwave.
Local Italy
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- Local Italy
How badly is Italy being affected by wildfires this summer?
With firefighters struggling to contain a forest blaze that's already forced the evacuation of around 5,000 people from hotels and homes on the Greek island of Crete, many people planning to travel to Italy this summer have expressed concerns about the risk of wildfires amid scorching temperatures. Italy is known to experience devastating fires during its hot summer months, especially in southern regions, where dry turf and vegetation and temperatures nearing 40C cause the flames to spread rapidly. According to a report by Greenpeace Italy and the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF), over four million hectares of land were affected by wildfires between 1980 and 2018 – a yearly average of nearly 107,000 hectares (roughly the size of the entire city of Rome). Though 2024 saw fewer wildfires compared to previous years, a total area of 514 square kilometres across 16 Italian regions was burned up by blazes, according to data from Italy's National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). What about this year? Italy has seen little in the way of devastating wildfires so far in 2025. Between January 1st and June 9th, blazes burned a total of 34 square kilometres around Italy, with almost 70 percent of the affected area located in the southern Calabria region. But as an extreme heatwave continues to grip most of Italy, some of the country's hottest and driest regions have seen their first wildfire outbreaks in recent days. Five major fires broke out on the outskirts of Rome on Monday, June 30th. The most serious blaze affected a field in Ponte Galeria, near the city's Fiumicino airport, forcing the temporary suspension of rail services on the Orte-Fiumicino line, as well as hours-long road closures in sections of the A12 and A91 motorways. Roma Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said that local authorities were 'continuously monitoring' the situation across the capital to 'prevent and mitigate wildfires during the summer season' and punish people who don't comply with wildfire-prevention guidelines. A spate of wildfires also broke out across the southern Campania region on Monday, with the most serious blazes affecting the provinces of Caserta, Naples and Salerno. A total of 160 separate firefighting operations were conducted to put out the flames in the region, according to Italian media reports. Sardinia has also experienced several wildfires in recent days. Flights to and from Alghero Airport were temporarily suspended on Monday after a major blaze broke out outside the town of Santa Maria La Palma. Other fires occurred in the rural area around Ozieri, Muros and Ittiri, all located in the Sassari province. So what can we expect going forward? July and August are generally the months with the highest number of wildfires in Italy, as dry turf and scorching heat favour the spread of blazes. Only a small proportion of fires have natural causes, with the majority linked to intentional human actions or negligence. As peak wildfire season approaches, regions including Campania and Puglia have recently launched prevention plans aimed at bolstering fire service departments and improving firefighting equipment and vehicles. Liguria's Civil Protection Department said earlier this week that the entire region will be placed under a severe wildfire risk warning from midnight on Saturday, July 5th. The move came after Italy's fire service warned of 'meteorological and climatic conditions favourable to the outbreak and spread of wildfires' across the region. Italy's Civil Protection has also recently urged regional and provincial authorities to draw up wildfire prevention measures to 'ensure the safety of citizens' over the summer. What are the most at-risk areas in Italy? Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia and Campania are regarded by experts as Italy's most at-risk regions when it comes to wildfires. According to Greenpeace Italy, the four regions accounted for around 85 percent of the total area affected by wildfires in summer 2024. Lazio, Tuscany, Puglia, Basilicata and Liguria are also known to regularly experience major blazes during the summer.
Local Italy
03-07-2025
- Local Italy
Italy limits outdoor work as deadly heatwave continues
Outdoor working was banned during the hottest hours of the day in many Italian regions this week, while the labour ministry announced it would extend similar measures nationwide. Health and safety rules aimed at protecting people at work during heatwaves, particularly those working outdoors, were strengthened under a new 'heat protocol' drawn up by ministers along with representatives from trade unions and employers' associations. Shifts and working hours must be reorganised during heatwaves, with employers required to provide increased training and risk assessment, under rules set to come into force under a ministerial decree in the coming days. 'Our priorities are health and safety at work, in particular work which must be carried out outdoors," Labour Minister Marina Calderone stated. The protocol 'promotes good practices in order to prevent accidents and illnesses connected to extreme weather.' The move to bring in national legislation came after more than half of Italy's regions this week banned work outdoors during the hottest hours of the day. The industrial regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna stopped open-air work between 12.30pm and 4pm, joining 11 other regions – from Liguria in the north-west to Sicily in the south – that had imposed similar bans in recent days. Italian trade union CGIL urged authorities to take action after a 47-year-old construction worker died on a building site near Bologna, while two others were rushed to hospital after falling ill in Vicenza, Veneto. In Palermo, Sicily, a 53-year-old woman died on Monday after collapsing while walking along a street. She reportedly suffered from a heart condition. A 70-year-old man was reported to have drowned at a tourist resort near Turin as intense heat gave way to storms and flash floods in the area. Italy's emergency units this week saw a 20 percent rise in admissions, with the majority of patients presenting heatstroke symptoms and severe dehydration. A total of 18 cities, including Rome, Milan and Florence, were under a maximum-level 'red' heat warning on Thursday, with highs forecast of up to 40C in parts of the centre and south.
