Storm Ciaran has hit Italy’s Tuscany region, leaving seven people dead and over 1,000 displaced. Eugenio Giani, president of Tuscany, said the amount of rain that fell in three hours was equivalent to the average monthly rainfall for November. Floodwaters inundated streets, homes and public buildings, with damage costs currently estimated at €500 million. The total costs are likely to be higher given many buildings (and businesses) still cannot be accessed due water and mud. Italy has been hit hard by torrential rains in recent years, with more extreme weather linked to climate change. In May, heavy flooding hit the northern region of Emilia Romagna, killing 15 people. Italy may not welcome the comparison but, like Britain, it’s susceptible to extreme precipitation being largely bounded by sea. In 2015 the village of Capracotta on the eastern slopes of the Apennines set a new snowfall record, buried under 256cm or 8.3ft in 18 hours.
