Terrifying vids show flash floods surging through Italian towns leaving at least one dead & dozens trapped after storm
Franco Chiaffrino, a 70-year-old fruit seller, was killed after he was hit by a torrent of water while getting out of his van, local media reported.
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Flash floods in northwestern Italy left one dead and over a dozen trapped
Credit: X/Centro Meteo Piemonte
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Bardonecchia flooded after heavy rains on Monday
Credit: X/@vigilidelfuoco
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Heavy rains burst the banks of the Frejus waterway
Credit: X/@vigilidelfuoco
Shocking videos show churning black water surging down the Frejus - a tunnel connecting France and Italy.
Torrential rain caused the waterway to break its banks, unleashing a violent flood across the region.
Rescuers are seen looking on helplessly as entire streets are submerged in the muddy floodwaters.
Residents were warned by the mayor to stay in their homes and avoid driving.
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Franco was killed in Bardonecchia - a resort town 56 miles west of Turin, which hosted snowboarding events during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Firefighters rescued at least 10 people trapped in buildings by the floods, along with a few people stuck in their cars, local media reported.
Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region, said on social media: "Today a water bomb hit the town of Bardonecchia suddenly, causing damage and unfortunately a victim."
He added: "We are increasingly faced with emergency situations due to weather events that we used to call exceptional but are now more and more frequent."
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A similar disaster struck Bardonecchia in 2023 after heavy rains caused two streams - including the Frejus - to overflow.
Although a major landslide swept away cars and debris, no fatalities were reported.
Two dead including child as France smashed by storms with Paris hit with flash floods & 39,000 lightning strikes
The heavy rains in northwestern Italy come as extreme weather has gripped much of Europe - from thunderstorms in the continent's central countries to scorching heat in the Mediterranean.
In France, at least two people - including a child - died after a violent storm caused flash floods in Paris last week.
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According to Lightning Maps, a weather-tracking website, more than 39,000 lightning strikes were recorded across France.
Over 100,000 homes were left in the dark after power lines were ripped down and metro stations were turned into indoor rivers.
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The Frejus also overflowed in August 2023
Credit: X/@mirocale
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Streets were submerged in dirty water
Credit: X/Centro Meteo Piemonte
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Heavy storms also swept across large parts of Germany over the weekend, hitting regions including Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
Lightning strikes also caused fires, including one at a horse farm in Keltern, German Bavarian newspaper Münchner Merkur reports.
In Austria, a supercell storm whipped through towns, shattering windows, flooding streets and causing nearly £8m worth of damage to agriculture.
The hardest-hit regions were reportedly Styria, Tyrol, and Lower Austria.
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Meanwhile, Greece, Spain and Italy are in the grip of a heatwave, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
Wildfires raged for three days on the Greek island of Chios last week - before being brought under control on Thursday.
Another wildfire broke out that same day on coastal area of Palaia Fokaia, south of Athens.
A motorway in northern Italy was closed on Thursday as temperatures caused roads to melt, local media reports.
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A freak build-up of heat in the North Atlantic is believed to be driving the unusually high temperatures sweeping across Europe - well above the seasonal average.
Scientists say that climate change is fuelling extreme weather events.
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Wildfires raged for three days on the Greek island of Chios
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Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Terrifying vids show flash floods surging through Italian towns leaving at least one dead & dozens trapped after storm
TERRIFYING footage shows flash floods ripping through towns in northwestern Italy. Franco Chiaffrino, a 70-year-old fruit seller, was killed after he was hit by a torrent of water while getting out of his van, local media reported. Advertisement 7 Flash floods in northwestern Italy left one dead and over a dozen trapped Credit: X/Centro Meteo Piemonte 7 Bardonecchia flooded after heavy rains on Monday Credit: X/@vigilidelfuoco 7 Heavy rains burst the banks of the Frejus waterway Credit: X/@vigilidelfuoco Shocking videos show churning black water surging down the Frejus - a tunnel connecting France and Italy. Torrential rain caused the waterway to break its banks, unleashing a violent flood across the region. Rescuers are seen looking on helplessly as entire streets are submerged in the muddy floodwaters. Residents were warned by the mayor to stay in their homes and avoid driving. Advertisement Franco was killed in Bardonecchia - a resort town 56 miles west of Turin, which hosted snowboarding events during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Firefighters rescued at least 10 people trapped in buildings by the floods, along with a few people stuck in their cars, local media reported. Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region, said on social media: "Today a water bomb hit the town of Bardonecchia suddenly, causing damage and unfortunately a victim." He added: "We are increasingly faced with emergency situations due to weather events that we used to call exceptional but are now more and more frequent." Advertisement A similar disaster struck Bardonecchia in 2023 after heavy rains caused two streams - including the Frejus - to overflow. Although a major landslide swept away cars and debris, no fatalities were reported. Two dead including child as France smashed by storms with Paris hit with flash floods & 39,000 lightning strikes The heavy rains in northwestern Italy come as extreme weather has gripped much of Europe - from thunderstorms in the continent's central countries to scorching heat in the Mediterranean. In France, at least two people - including a child - died after a violent storm caused flash floods in Paris last week. Advertisement According to Lightning Maps, a weather-tracking website, more than 39,000 lightning strikes were recorded across France. Over 100,000 homes were left in the dark after power lines were ripped down and metro stations were turned into indoor rivers. 7 The Frejus also overflowed in August 2023 Credit: X/@mirocale 7 Streets were submerged in dirty water Credit: X/Centro Meteo Piemonte Advertisement Heavy storms also swept across large parts of Germany over the weekend, hitting regions including Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Lightning strikes also caused fires, including one at a horse farm in Keltern, German Bavarian newspaper Münchner Merkur reports. In Austria, a supercell storm whipped through towns, shattering windows, flooding streets and causing nearly £8m worth of damage to agriculture. The hardest-hit regions were reportedly Styria, Tyrol, and Lower Austria. Advertisement Meanwhile, Greece, Spain and Italy are in the grip of a heatwave, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Wildfires raged for three days on the Greek island of Chios last week - before being brought under control on Thursday. Another wildfire broke out that same day on coastal area of Palaia Fokaia, south of Athens. A motorway in northern Italy was closed on Thursday as temperatures caused roads to melt, local media reports. Advertisement A freak build-up of heat in the North Atlantic is believed to be driving the unusually high temperatures sweeping across Europe - well above the seasonal average. Scientists say that climate change is fuelling extreme weather events. 7 Wildfires raged for three days on the Greek island of Chios 7
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Terrifying vids show flash floods surging through Italian towns leaving at least one dead & dozens trapped after storm
TERRIFYING footage shows flash floods ripping through towns in northwestern Italy. Franco Chiaffrino, a 70-year-old fruit seller, was killed after he was hit by a torrent of water while getting out of his van in an alpine town, local media reported. 7 7 Shocking videos showed churning black water surging down the waterway. Torrential rain caused the Frejus waterway to break its banks - unleashing a violent flood across the region. Rescuers are seen looking on helplessly as entire streets are flooded in the mudwaters. Residents were warned by the mayor to stay in their homes and avoid driving. Firefighters rescued at least 10 people trapped in buildings by the floods, along with a few people stuck in their cars, local media reported. Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region, said on social media: "Today a water bomb hit the town of Bardonecchia suddenly, causing damage and unfortunately a victim." The 70-year-old resident was killed in Bardonecchia - a resort town 56 miles west of Turin, which hosted snowboarding events during the 2006 Winter Olympics. Cirio added: "We are increasingly faced with emergency situations due to weather events that we used to call exceptional but are now more and more frequent." A similar disaster struck Bardonecchia in 2023 after heavy rains caused two streams, including the Frejus, to overflow. A major landslide swept away cars and debris, but no casualties were reported. Two dead including child as France smashed by storms with Paris hit with flash floods & 39,000 lightning strikes The heavy rains in northwestern Italy come as extreme weather has gripped much of Europe - from thunderstorms in the continent's central countries to scorching heat in the Mediterranean. In France, at least two people - including a child - died after a violent storm caused flash floods in Paris last week. According to Lightning Maps, a weather-tracking website, more than 39,000 lightning strikes were recorded across France. Over 100,000 homes were left in the dark after power lines were ripped down and metro stations were turned into indoor rivers. 7 7 Heavy storms also swept across large parts of Germany over the weekend, hitting regions including Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Lightning strikes also caused fires, including one at a horse farm in Keltern, German Bavarian newspaper Münchner Merkur reports. In Austria, a supercell storm whipped through towns, shattering windows, flooding streets and causing nearly £8m worth of damage to agriculture. The hardest-hit regions were reportedly Styria, Tyrol, and Lower Austria. Meanwhile, Greece, Spain and Italy are in the grip of a heatwave, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Wildfires raged for three days on the Greek island of Chios last week - before being brought under control on Thursday. Another wildfire broke out that same day on coastal area of Palaia Fokaia, south of Athens. A motorway in northern Italy was closed on Thursday as temperatures caused roads to melt, local media reports. A freak build-up of heat in the North Atlantic is believed to be driving the unusually high temperatures sweeping across Europe - well above the seasonal average. Scientists say that climate change is fuelling extreme weather events. 7 7
Scottish Sun
26-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Two dead including child as France smashed by storms with Paris swamped by floods & 39k lightning bolts across country
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AT least two people including a child have died after a violent storm battered Paris last night. Fierce winds sent locals rushing for cover as 39,000 lightning bolts eerily flashed across the country before the French capital was swamped with floodwater. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 A lightning bolt lights up the sky over Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre Credit: Getty 9 Rainwater flooded the streets of Paris Credit: X 9 A streak of lightning seen near the Eiffel Tower 9 Torrential downpour hit the streets of paris overnight 9 View of broken tree branches on a damaged car in a street the day after a heavy storm hit Paris Credit: Reuters After several days of sweltering heat, violent rain and gusty winds hit the streets of Paris, causing absolute carnage. Footage showed streaks of lightning turning the sky into an eerie yellow hue across the capital. Metro stations and some streets in the capital were left under water as torrential rain and lightning swept. Parisians were seen walking down the streets flooded with rainwater. read more on France STREET SNATCH Moment crypto CEO's daughter and child attacked by knife-wielding kidnap gang In the Dordogne, huge hailstones tore through the roofs of the buildings during the peak of the storms. Some than 70 buildings were damaged in the commune of Belvès alone, The Telegraph reports. Aftermath of the violent storm showed fallen trees on the streets, while cars were left stranded in deep water. In southern France, a falling tree tragically killed a 12-year-old boy. Meanwhile, a man on a quad bike died after crashing into another fallen tree that was downed by the storm. The violent downpour late Wednesday injured 17 others, including one seriously, France's emergency services said. And rain also leaked through the roof of the lower house of parliament, forcing lawmakers to suspend talks on the conflict in the Middle East. "It's raining in the chamber... I repeat: it's raining in the chamber," wrote MP Maud Petit on her X account. The storms followed a sweltering heatwave with temperatures passing 35 degrees Celsius. It brought gusts of wind exceeding 62 miles per hour that damaged property. Nearly 100,000 homes were still without electricity on Thursday, mainly in central France, emergency services said. "Trees blocking roads, damage to infrastructure and homes, flooding, and power outages have been reported," it reported. Firefighters responded to some 40 reports of fallen trees. 9 View of the Pantheon and lightning storms Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 A lightning bolt is seen over the roofs of buildings during a thunderstorm in Paris Credit: Getty 9 View of broken tree branches on a damaged car in a street the day after a heavy storm hit Paris Credit: Reuters According to Lightning Maps, a weather-tracking website, more than 39,000 lightning strikes were recorded across France - and some in Belgium. It comes after three people were killed in thunderstorms that battered southern France last month. Downpours flooded entire streets, causing power and water outages and widespread destruction - as hundreds of rescuers rushed to the region famous for seeing 300 days of sunshine. A couple in their eighties died after their car was swept away by floodwaters in the seaside town of Le Lavandou, France 24 reported. The woman's body was found trapped inside the wreck, a public prosecutor in Toulon said. A third person drowned in their vehicle in the commune of Vidauban, according to cops. There were reportedly power and water outages in the town of Cavaliere, where 25cm of rain fell in the space of one hour. A car park also collapsed in the town, leading to dozens of people needing to be rescued. Around 200 firefighters and 35 gendarmes have reportedly been deployed in Var.
