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Destroyed yachts and boats lie in the harbour of Rapallo, near Genoa.
Destroyed yachts and boats lie in the harbour of Rapallo, near Genoa. Photograph: Antonio Calanni/AP
Destroyed yachts and boats lie in the harbour of Rapallo, near Genoa. Photograph: Antonio Calanni/AP

Wild weather across Europe leaves nine dead in Italy

This article is more than 5 years old

Winds of 110mph bring destruction in Italy as snow traps more than 1,000 drivers in France

The death toll from fierce storms battering Italy has risen to nine as wild autumn weather swept across many parts of Europe.

Roads were blocked and thousands of people were left without power in southern and central Europe, as rain and violent winds sparked flooding and tore up trees.

Heavy snow fell in mountainous areas of France and Italy, trapping scores of drivers in their cars and tourists in hotels.

In Italy, where wind speeds reached 110mph (180km/h) in some areas, civil protection authorities announced a further four deaths, after confirming five people had perished on Monday.

A woman died when her home was engulfed by a mudslide in the northern region of Trentino, a man was killed by a falling tree in the north-eastern region of Veneto and a firefighter died during relief operations in South Tyrol.

A man was killed while kitesurfing on Monday near the town of Cattolica on the Adriatic coast. The local press sayid strong winds had blown him into rocks.

Venice was inundated by near-record flooding and tourists were barred from St Mark’s Square on Monday as local authorities said the high water peaked at 156cm. The water level has only topped 150cm five times before in recorded history.

Flooding in Venice. Photograph: Mirco Toniolo/Ropi/REX/Shutterstock

Italian media also reported that about 170 tourists and hotel staff had been stranded by heavy snowfall at the Stelvio pass on the Swiss border.

In France, more than 1,000 drivers were trapped in their cars for the night in the mountains of the Massif Central region as snowstorms engulfed the roads. Another 400 had to spend the night in train carriages at the main station in the eastern city of Lyon after heavy snow blocked the tracks.

About 195,000 homes were without power across mainland France, most of them in eastern and central regions. Another 21,000 homes lost power on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, which was placed on red alert on Monday for powerful winds, shutting its airports and ports.

Cars blocked near Firminy in the Loire department, France. Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images

Croatia’s Adriatic coast has also been battered by gales and heavy rains that have flooded streets, cut off power and ensnared road and maritime traffic.

Storms have also swept into Switzerland, buffeting the Ticino region near the Italian border overnight, according to the public broadcaster RTS.

Roads were blocked by fallen trees and flooding, while strong winds ripped roof sections off buildings, including in Giubiasco where police said part of a roof had smashed into a moving train and a house.

Authorities in southern Austria have deployed hundreds of mobile anti-flooding dams as rivers burst their banks, and in the city of Salzburg a roof section from the medieval ramparts flew off in high winds.

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