Lucrezia Ciotti Severe weather is hitting Italy again, with a new low-pressure system affecting central and southern Italy in particular. The Civil Protection Department has issued an orange alert for Puglia and Basilicata for Monday, November 2nd, and a yellow alert for five other regions, due to intense thunderstorms, strong winds, and possible hailstorms. School closures and restrictions on public spaces have also been ordered in several municipalities.
Weather alert issued for Monday, November 2nd, heavy rains in Central and Southern Italy: 7 regions at risk
Severe weather returns to affect much of central and southern Italy on Monday, November 2nd, with widespread rainfall , some violent thunderstorms , and intensifying winds. The worsening situation is being caused by a disturbance from the Balkans , heading toward the Tyrrhenian Sea, where a low pressure area is deepening.
The low-pressure system is fueling conditions of strong instability, especially along the Adriatic coast and in the southern regions, also accompanied by a significant drop in temperatures, which in some areas could drop as much as 4-6 degrees below the seasonal average.
An orange alert for meteorological and hydrogeological risk has been established for today across Puglia and Basilicata , while the yellow criticality level concerns Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Calabria and Sicily.
Precipitation, initially forecast for Abruzzo, Molise, and Sicily, will gradually extend to the other affected regions, with locally persistent rainfall in Basilicata and along the eastern Apennines of Abruzzo and Molise. In addition to particularly heavy showers, gusts of wind, possible hail, and frequent electrical discharges are expected. Northerly winds could reach storm-force intensity in Lazio, Campania, and Sicily , with even stronger gusts in the southern areas of the island.
Severe weather in Italy, weather alerts and school closures: the affected regions
The forecasted weather conditions have prompted several municipalities in Puglia to adopt precautionary measures to limit the risks associated with rainfall and potential flooding. School closures have been ordered in San Severo, Lecce, and Brindisi , while other municipalities have implemented control and safety measures in the most exposed areas. In Barletta, in particular, urban and suburban traffic will be monitored, with particular attention to underpasses, which could fill with water in the event of heavy rainfall.
In Lecce, the restrictions also affect several public spaces : for the duration of the alert, the municipal cemetery, the municipal villa, the parks of Belloluogo, Galateo, and Cave, as well as the Santa Rosa Luigi Montefusco sports field, will remain closed. The markets on Via Bari and Piazza Libertini are also suspended.
Similar measures have been adopted in Brindisi , where, in addition to schools, parks, gardens, municipal villas, and cemeteries will remain closed. According to meteorological experts, the worsening conditions may not end within a few hours : easterly currents are expected in the coming days, bringing temperatures below the seasonal average and further precipitation, especially in exposed areas on the Adriatic coast.