Italy breaks national 6-hour rainfall record with 496 mm (19.5 inches)
A weather station in Cairo Montenotte, Province of Savona in the NW Italian region of Liguria, recorded 496 mm (19.5 inches) of rain in just 6 hours on October 4, 2021, breaking the country's 6-hour rainfall record of 472 mm (18.6 inches) set in 2011. While rain was recorded across the country yesterday, the storm unloaded most of its power in the Savona area.
Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente Ligure (ARPAL) reported 1-hour rainfall totals of 145.2 mm (5.7 inches) in Cairo Montenotte, 178.2 mm (7 inches) in Urbe and 181 mm (7.1 inches) in Vicomorasso – a new national record. Furthermore, figures from ARPAL show the station at Rossiglione recorded more than 900 mm (35.4 inches) of rain in 24 hours.1
President of Liguria Giovanni Toti said the situation in the region was critical and that it could worsen, especially given the extreme levels of rainfall.
The rain caused landslides and severe flooding, leading to road and highway closures, and temporarily halting trains between the Ligurian coastal towns of Savona and Turin.2
Widespread flooding was reported in the Pontinvrea area where the Erro River overflowed, leaving the area underwater.3
In addition to the Erro River in Pontinvrea, the Bormida River in Cairo Montenotte also overflew, as well as Letimbro in the city of Savona.
Chilling…
Italy has just broken its 6-hour national rainfall record. Cairo Montenotte (near Genoa in the north-west) recorded a jaw-dropping 496 mm (19.5 inches) of rain in just 6 hours.
Satellite shows a stationary thunderstorm pummelling the area all day. pic.twitter.com/5NmxKBHNm0
— Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) October 4, 2021
Intense rain also hit other parts of Italy, especially the north, and a red alert for bad weather was declared in Piedmont, which borders Liguria to the northeast.
"A cold front loaded with rain and thunderstorms will affect Italy for several days this week," iLMeteo.it chief Antonio Sanò said, adding that more flooding can be expected in the north, especially in the Genoa area.4
References:
1 Italy – Floods and Landslides in Liguria Region After 181mm of Rain in 1 Hour – FloodList
2 Flooding stops trains between Savona and Turin – ANSA
3 Weather warning, flood in the Savona area: a collapsed bridge, landslides, interrupted roads and railways – Italy24News
4 Autumnal front brings chills, storms to Italy – ANSA
Featured image credit: NASA Terra/MODIS, TW
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