Storm Boris: Italy Issues Warning For Heavy Rains & Floods. 21 Dead In Europe So Far

Firefighters in the capital of Pescara in Abruzzo, Italy, reported receiving more than 200 phone calls for assistance after heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in the area.

Severe floods are said to have been caused by Storm Boris, which delivered heavy rain and flooding over the weekend.

Source : X/@rahini1207

The Italian meteorological department has issued a warning of heavy rainfall, strong winds and floods for Wednesday and the following few days. According to a BBC report, floods have already been reported in the central city of Pescara. The alerts cover the areas from the northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the far south.

These warnings come after floods devastated parts of Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria this week, which left at least 21 dead, as per the BBC report. Authorities in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia have also warned of floods in the coming days. The flooding has been attributed to Storm Boris.

The report stated that Italy’s National Civil Protection Service has issued yellow alerts for nearly 50 regions for Thursday, and warned of a risk of storms, landslides and floods. As per BBC, Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions could see about two months’ worth of rainfall in three days alone. 

Firefighters in the capital of Pescara in Abruzzo reported receiving more than 200 phone calls for assistance after heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in the area.

As Storm Boris ravages parts of Europe, in Poland, more than 5,000 soldiers were deployed to help people in the southern region, including 40,000 evacuees from the town of Nysa. In certain areas, waters are beginning to recede, while in others, the flooding continues. In the Polish town of Glucholazy, the main bridge collapsed after being damaged by the swollen river. 

Polish police on Tuesday confirmed at least six people had died. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has declared a month-long state of natural disaster, with the worst flooding expected to hit the city of Wroclaw on Wednesday. Areas along the border between Poland and the Czech Republic have been among the hardest-hit, with 15,000 people evacuated in the Czech Republic.

The water levels of the River Danube are rapidly increasing in Slovakia and Hungary, with the Slovak capital Bratislava and its Hungarian counterpart Budapest preparing for possible flooding. Meanwhile, the Austrian authorities have closed parts of the River Danube for shipping traffic due to elevated water levels along the crucial waterway, as per BBC. In Croatia, the Meteorological and Hydrological Service warned the River Danube — the second largest river in Europe — could experience an "extremely rare" water rise. They said they plan to put flood barriers if necessary.

Extreme rainfall is becoming increasingly frequent and intense across central Europe. Though these events fit the expectations of more extreme rainfall in a warming world it is not yet possible to quantify exactly how much of a role climate change plays. 

According to the BBC report, climate scientists have long warned of increasing frequency of extreme rainfall as the planet warms. As the atmosphere becomes warmer it is more likely to hold more moisture, which results in rainfall. Warmer oceans would lead to more evaporation, which fuels storm systems. For every 1 degree Celcius higher temperature, the atmosphere can hold 7% more moisture.