Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
Red alert in Tuscany, evacuations between Massa and La Spezia
A violent Atlantic storm hits central and northern Italy. The Bardine stream bursts its banks in Fivizzano, schools closed in several towns.
A severe Atlantic weather system is sweeping across much of the Italian peninsula, bringing torrential rain, gale-force winds and the first serious disruptions. The most critical situation is between eastern Liguria and north-western Tuscany: in the La Spezia area four families have been evacuated, while in the Massa area about a hundred people have had to leave their homes in the hamlets of Casette and Forno, which have been cut off.
Red alert in Tuscany. Civil Protection has issued a red alert for high hydrogeological and hydraulic risk across four Tuscan provinces: Massa-Carrara, Lucca and some municipalities in the provinces of Pistoia and Prato. The areas of Lunigiana, Versilia and Garfagnana are under close observation. In Fivizzano (Massa-Carrara) flooding has caused the Bardine stream to burst its banks, swamping the road network. As a precaution, many mayors in the affected areas have ordered the closure of all schools and urged the public to limit travel.
Orange and yellow alerts across the rest of the country. The orange alert (moderate risk) covers the eastern basins of Liguria and the central highlands of Emilia-Romagna, where river levels are being monitored. A yellow alert is in force across all of Umbria and Lazio, as well as in parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Abruzzo (Marsica, Alto Sangro and Aterno) and Molise (Alto Volturno-Medio Sangro).
Strong winds and rough seas. The storm is accompanied by strong south-westerly winds, with gales along the Apennine ridges increasing the risk of falling trees. A rapid rise in wave height is also causing heavy seas along exposed Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts.
