Palermo is below weather alertcon violent storms which are affecting the Sicilian capital and the surrounding areas. The wave of bad weather, which has intensified in the last few hours, has caused not only traffic disruptions, but also a plane crash, with the diversion of a flight from London due to a whirlwind which was formed near Punta Raisi airport. The weather forecast does not promise improvements and the Civil Protection has released new communications regarding the hydrogeological weather risk.
Weather alert in Palermo
The Sicily is facing a series of heavy rains and thunderstorms which are causing disruption especially in the capital, Palermo. The intense rains affected several areas of the city, including the villages of Sferracavallo e Mondellowith numerous flooding reported in Viale Regione Siciliana e via Ugo La Malfa.
Emergency services intervened to assist motorists stranded on roads flooded with water. In particular, the sector nord-ovest Palermo recorded the most significant damage, with submerged roads and traffic difficulties.
The Sicilian civil protection has issued a yellow alerts for rain and thunderstorms, with a forecast of intense phenomena also for the next few hours.
A whirlwind spotted
In the late afternoon, a now not too rare phenomenon occurred a few kilometers from the airport Punta Raisi: a waterspout it has been spotted by numerous travelers and residents of the area.
The whirlwind, visible along the coast, made air navigation difficult, creating inconveniences even within the airport. Several testimonies from passengers confirmed that the phenomenon was filmed near the coast, where it reached its maximum intensity.
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This event also had a direct impact on incoming flights, including a flight from Londra Heathrowwhich was diverted to Catania.
Flight from London lands in Catania
Due to adverse weather conditions, the flight arriving from Londra Heathrow was diverted to Catania. Heavy rain and a whirlwind made it impossible to land safely at Palermoforcing the airline to redirect the flight to the Catania airport.
Despite this inconvenience, other flights arriving and departing from Punta Raisi continued regularly.
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Photo source: IPA
