Unprecedented amounts of rainfall devastate parts of France, Switzerland and Italy

Unprecedented amounts of rainfall battered parts of France, Switzerland and northern Italy in the last two weeks causing severe flooding and landslides throughout the region. The second round of powerful storms and widespread flooding hit the region over the weekend with the third round forecasted for Monday and Tuesday, November 17 and 18, 2014. Both Switzerland and Italy have issued major flood alerts.

In just a few days, border region of Switzerland and Italy has seen more rain than it would normally expect in a year.

​In a 24 hour period (November 15 to 16, 2014) a 159 mm (6.25 inches) of rain was recorded in Italian port city of Genova. Milano received 102 mm (4 inches) during the same period. While annual rainfall plus snowfall average for Genova is 1 079 mm (42.6 inches), Milano's receives an average of 920 mm (36.2 inches) per year.

Five people have died after their cars were swept away by floodwaters between November 14 and 15, 2014 in the southern French region of Le Gard.

Four people died when mudslides hit their homes in the border area between Italy and Switzerland overnight on Saturday, November 15 and a fifth was missing near Genova, Reuters reported. 11 people have died as a result of floods in Italy in the last month. 

Early Sunday morning, a landslide has buried residential building near the city of Lugano in southern Switzerland, leaving two people dead, four injured and an unknown number missing.

Several rivers burst their banks and sent tides of muddy waters through the streets of Genova and nearby towns.

• This region received more rain in a few days than it would normally expect in a whole year. 
• More heavy rainfall is on the way and further landslides are expected.
• Dry weather is expected by the end of the week.

Featured image: Severe storm over southern Europe on November 15, 2014. Image credit: NASA Aqua/MODIS