A wave of extreme weather struck Cremona, Italy, on Thursday afternoon, where a tornado accompanied by hail and strong winds left behind major material damage and around 40 injured people, according to reports. Among the buildings affected were the Cathedral and City Hall, two of the city’s best-known landmarks.
Damage in the heart of the city
The strongest impact was recorded in Cremona, where the storm severely damaged the roof of one of the Cathedral’s spires. The roof of the civic tower of City Hall also collapsed, one of the remaining parts of the city’s old building.
Images from the area point to serious consequences in the urban center, as the violent weather hit not only public buildings but also vehicles and other structures.
Around 40 injured, most with minor injuries
According to reports, around 40 people were injured. Most of them suffered minor injuries caused by hail, pieces of roofing, tiles and materials torn from buildings.
One of the most serious cases was reported on Via Giuseppina, on the outskirts of Cremona, where a fallen tree struck a vehicle. The people inside the car were initially pulled out with the help of residents and then by emergency teams.
Some of the injured also sought medical assistance because of shock after the storm.
The storm also spread to other areas
Bad weather also affected the eastern part of Bassa Piacentina, where heavy hail was recorded. In Castelsangiovanni, near the border with the province of Pavia, hailstones reached the size of tennis balls.
On the Piacenza-Turin motorway, heavy rainfall forced some drivers to stop temporarily. According to authorities, there were no injuries on that stretch.
Damage was also reported in agricultural areas, especially vineyards, while firefighters received dozens of calls for help over fallen trees and damaged vehicles.
Emergency interventions in Turin, Alessandria and Trentino
Problems were also recorded in Turin, where firefighters intervened to rescue eight people stranded on the road in the Clot de la Batüa area. They were taken out of the area and brought to safety, while the road began to be cleared of mud and debris.
In the province of Alessandria, strong winds, rain and hail caused trees to fall and damaged roofs and vehicles. Firefighters there received around 50 requests for interventions, with some areas among the hardest hit.
In Trentino, weather conditions caused disruptions at high altitude, as more than 800 climbers were helped to descend toward the valley after several cable cars were closed due to strong winds, which at altitudes above 2,500 meters exceeded 110 kilometers per hour.
The preliminary toll points to a wide reach of the extreme weather across several Italian regions, from urban centers to mountain and agricultural areas.
So far, reports speak mainly of injured people with minor wounds, but the material damage and the impact on infrastructure appear significant.