Italy under yellow weather alerts in 12 regions as Atlantic rain persists to 20 November

Yellow alerts across central and southern Italy

Protezione civile bulletins placed 12 regions under a yellow weather alert for Sunday, 15 November, covering Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sardegna, Toscana and Umbria. Il Messaggero counted 11 regions in its own report, so the total depends on the source. The alerts cover hydraulic, hydrogeological and thunderstorm risk in specific zones rather than whole regions. In Campania the yellow alert runs for 24 hours from 6am on 15 November, warning of possible flooding, water running across roads, rising river levels, falling rocks and landslides. Municipalities were asked to keep their operations centres active and prepare measures to limit the expected effects.

Rain, wind and snow on Sunday

Forecasters expected the disturbance to strike hardest on the Tyrrhenian side of the centre and south, with Lazio, Campania and northern Calabria in line for 40-70 mm of rain in 24 hours, according to Federico Brescia of iLMeteo.it. Elsewhere, Toscana, Marche, Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia and marginally Emilia Romagna were forecast to receive 5-20 mm in 24 hours. Gusts of up to 45-50 km/h were expected in the north and in Sicily, where skies were forecast to clear. Light snow was expected above 1,500-1,800 metres in the western Alps. Minimum temperatures in the north were expected between 2 and 9 degrees Celsius, and Palermo could reach 23-24 degrees on the same day.

Second disturbance and snow in the Alps

The first Atlantic disturbance of the week was forecast to arrive on Monday, 16 November, affecting mainly the central and southern regions on the Tyrrhenian side, while the north and Adriatic coast stayed largely dry, according to iLMeteo.it experts cited by Il Giornale. Libeccio winds were expected to strengthen, moderate or locally strong in the centre-south. On Tuesday, 17 November, a second disturbance was forecast to reach the north, with Liguria and Triveneto receiving 40-60 mm in 24 hours. Snowfall of about 30-40 cm was expected in the Alps and Prealpi above 1,800-2,000 metres, while the snow line on the central Apennines was seen at 1,900-2,100 metres. Rain was expected to ease gradually on Wednesday, 18 November, though residual showers were forecast to persist along Tyrrhenian sectors.

Outlook to the weekend

Unsettled weather was forecast to last until Friday, 20 November, with pauses between weather fronts and winds mostly from the west and south-west. Temperatures were expected to remain relatively mild, without any notable cold air incursions. For the weekend of 21 and 22 November, forecasters saw a possible return of high pressure, although the outlook remained tentative. Il Giornale reported that a high-pressure ridge would return after the rainy stretch, bringing a drier spell once Friday passed.