A 40-year-old man, missing since Tuesday afternoon after the Crisa River - swollen by rain and flooding - swept away his car in Leonforte (Enna), has been found dead. Two other people were rescued from the river by emergency crews.

Meanwhile, storms are intensifying in the north, with heavy rains in Milan leading to the closure of public parks. The Lambro River is under close observation. An orange weather alert is in effect for Emilia-Romagna and Liguria, as well as Lombardy.

While central and southern Italy continue to experience hot, muggy conditions, freak storms have also caused disruptions. On Wednesday, the Pisan coast was hit by flooding, while parts of Arezzo were inundated by heat-fuelled thunderstorms.

The Civil Protection Department has issued an orange alert for parts of Liguria and Lombardy, and a yellow alert for the rest of those two regions, as well as Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany and parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Marche.

Lorenzo Tedici, meteorologist and media manager for iLMeteo.it, explained that “the next few hours will see the last spike in temperatures across much of the country”.

“In a few days, maximum temperatures will drop by as much as 10 degrees Celsius, especially in the north,” he continued.

“In short, temperatures will fall from 40 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius during the central hours of the day.”

Due to the alerts, Palazzo Marino in Milan has activated the Civil Protection Department’s municipal operations centre and ordered parks to remain closed. Bergamo has also closed its parks and gardens.

In Milan, a van with Slovenian license plates was struck by a large branch that broke off suddenly Tuesday afternoon near the Arena and Sempione Park. The driver and two passengers escaped unharmed despite the force of the impact.

A third severe downpour in as many days hit Arezzo in the past few hours, flooding several parts of the city and disrupting traffic. Roads and underpasses were submerged, and trees fell across the northbound carriageway of the Perugia–Bettolle motorway.

In Umbria, a violent thunderstorm with rain, lightning and strong winds struck the regional capital Tuesday afternoon.

In Sardinia, bad weather on Tuesday led to two traffic accidents on State Road 131 due to rain-slicked asphalt. Several people were hospitalised, while an uprooted tree and a large falling branch also damaged vehicles. Hailstorms were reported in the mountains of Nuoro, Ogliastra and Campidano, accompanied by thunderstorms and local showers.

In the Cagliari countryside, authorities are assessing widespread storm damage. Farms in Monastir, Pimentel, Barrali, Senorbì and the greater Cagliari area, along with many other parts of the region, have been hit hard.

Torrential rains and hail have devastated crops, fodder and farm structures, causing major losses for farmers and ranchers. Vineyards and olive groves, including many organic farms, were especially affected.

“In just a few hours, entire rows of vines have been knocked down or irreversibly damaged,” lamented agricultural group Coldiretti.

ANSA