Severe thunderstorms hit Central Europe by Kirsty McCabe
Violent thunderstorms across central parts of Europe have left at least three dead and caused flash flooding and mudslides.
Some of the worst affected countries include Germany, France Italy and Belgium. In northern Italy three people lost their lives from a mudslide as torrential rain and hailstones lashed down. A state of emergency was then declared for the Turin region of Piedmont and the mountainous Val d’Aosta in Italy. Schools were closed in the town of Savigliano because of mudslides, and scores of people were evacuated from their homes in Demonte.
The Po, Italy’s longest river, and its tributary the Dora, remain at serious risk of further flooding - threatening hundreds of acres of fertile farmland.
Across eastern France and Belgium, torrential downpours gave rise to mudslides which blocked roads and railways.
The recent violent thunderstorms were caused by a mass of cooler air which flowed down from the north Atlantic across Spain and then moved northeastwards towards central Europe. This cooler air mass collided with very warm and humid air moving north from the Mediterranean, triggering severe and widespread thunderstorms. Apart from torrential rain and hailstones, these storms produced spectacular lightning and very strong squally winds that caused additional damage.
With fairly high temperatures, high humidity and a weak area of low pressure across Western Europe, further thunderstorms are expected to develop over the next few days, with the risk of a few severe storms once again.
