5 Dead in Storms in Italy

Following heavy storms in the north and wildfires in Sicily, at least five people were discovered dead in Italy on Tuesday. As a result, the government may decide to impose a state of emergency in the worst-affected areas.

According to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, two individuals died in storms that battered northern Italy, including a 16-year-old girl who was camping.

After experiencing strong winds and torrential rain the previous night, the youngster was murdered when a tree collapsed on her tent at a scout camp in Brescia.

A middle-aged lady was killed on Monday in Lissone, north of Milan, after also being struck by a falling tree.

On social media, Meloni acknowledged the two "tragic" deaths brought on by the poor weather and expressed her condolences to their families.

Early on Tuesday morning, Milan residents reported hail and severe rain that flooded streets and toppled trees, many of which fell upon parked automobiles.

The city's power network was seriously damaged, according to transportation officials, while water service was momentarily cut off in the historic center, according to an AFP journalist.

The situation, according to firefighters, is "very serious" and there have been more than 200 calls for assistance in Milan since 4 am (0200 GMT).

However, despite the rain in the north, there was a heatwave in the south, with Catania in eastern Sicily recording a high of 47.6 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.

According to accounts in the media Tuesday night, an 88-year-old lady was discovered nearby the Sicilian city of Palermo, and the corpses of two others in their 70s were discovered in a house that had been completely destroyed by the fire.

Renato Schifani, the regional president of Sicily, said he intended to seek the government to impose a state of emergency for the Mediterranean island before a meeting of ministers on Wednesday.

One of the flames that island firefighters battled all night long came dangerously near to the Palermo airport, forcing the facility to be closed for a number of hours on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday saw "extensive fires" recorded over the southern region of Italy, with nine incidents in Sicily, nine in Calabria, and one in Sardinia requiring air help.

"We are experiencing in Italy one of the most complicated days in recent decades -- rainstorms, tornadoes and giant hail in the north, and scorching heat and devastating fires in the centre and south," said Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci.

Writing on Facebook, he added: "The climate upheaval that has hit our country demands of us all... a change of attitude."

Source: AFP