Orange alert for central-western Liguria

Arpal, the environmental protection agency of Liguria, has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms over the central-western part of the region. It takes effect at 7:00 on Tuesday 20 October and runs until midnight, preceded by a yellow alert from midnight to 7:00. The warning is linked to a broad low-pressure system between France and England that is expected to bring the storms.

“The clash between scirocco and tramontana winds will make the thunderstorms stall, so that in some parts of the region rain could fall for more than 15 consecutive hours.”

Arpal also expects south-easterly winds to reach gale force over the central and eastern coast, with rough seas and possible swells on all coasts from the afternoon. Beyond Liguria, the Civil Protection Department has issued yellow thunderstorm warnings for Tuesday in Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Sardinia, Tuscany and Umbria.

Schools closed in Genoa and Liguria

The municipal operations centre of Genoa met on Monday afternoon at the Matitone and decided to close schools of every level on Tuesday. The decision will not be reconsidered. Schools will stay open for administrative work only, while all teaching is suspended. Mayor Silvia Salis activated the civil protection structure, which pointed to heavy rain across the city's eastern side at the weekend and to more rain forecast ahead.

Several other Ligurian municipalities have taken similar decisions, including Bogliasco, Alassio, Finale Ligure and Vado Ligure. In Savona, teaching is suspended at every level for the day, and schools in flood-prone areas are shut as well. Other towns on the list include Albissola Marina, Albissola Superiore, Bergeggi, Carcare, Cosseria and Dego. The list of closures is still being updated as more municipalities announce decisions.

Rain, wind and temperatures across Italy

Federico Brescia, a meteorologist at iLMeteo.it, describes an extensive Atlantic disturbance crossing Italy on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rain will be widespread and at times heavy, with the first signs already visible on Monday, especially in the northwest.

“By Wednesday afternoon, total accumulations could exceed 100-150 mm in the Savona area.”

For Tuesday, the northwest is forecast to receive more than 70-90 mm of rain in 24 hours. From Wednesday, south-westerly Libeccio winds blowing above 40 km/h could raise waves of 3-4 metres along exposed coasts of Liguria and Tuscany. Storms are also expected in Sardinia on Tuesday and in Campania on Wednesday. Minimum temperatures are forecast to fall by about 2-4°C from Thursday 22 October.

Rome and Lazio

Flavio Galbiati, president of MeteoNetwork, expects rain, storms and strong wind to reach Rome and Lazio from Tuesday. He describes a clear worsening in the afternoon.

“Bad weather will reach our region tomorrow, with a worsening expected from the afternoon.”

The most intense phase is expected from Tuesday evening through the night and into Wednesday morning, when heavy showers and storms could hit. Galbiati said the sky will not fully clear on Wednesday evening, although precipitation should ease markedly. Winds will stay strong, blowing from the Scirocco direction on Tuesday and turning to Maestrale on Thursday, bringing fresher air. Maximum temperatures should stay around 21°C from Wednesday, and Thursday may not go above that level.

What comes next

A new disturbance is expected between Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, according to iLMeteo.it. It is described as much weaker and faster than the current system. Galbiati said forecasts for the coming weekend will need a few more days before they can be pinned down. Genoa's closure order covers Tuesday 20 October only.