VIDEO: A rare Mediterranean hurricane hit Italy
A strong storm devastated southern Italy for the second day in a row, killing at least one person, flooding roads and fields and causing landslides, police said today.
The body of a 67-year-old man was found in a bush not far from where he was last seen after his car got stuck in water and mud southwest of the Sicilian city of Catania. His wife is still wanted, emergency services said.
The Italian meteorological site Ilmeteo.it published that parts of Sicily and neighboring Calabria were affected by a rare Mediterranean hurricane, known as Medicen, with winds that by the end of the day could blow up to 120 kilometers per hour.
The Sicilian Farmers' Association says more than 300 millimeters of rain fell in just a few hours on Sunday near the city of Catania, which is almost half the average annual rainfall on the Mediterranean island.
The Civil Protection Authority today issued the highest red alert for northern Sicily and southern Calabria, warning of potential danger to life and property damage in those areas. Schools in many villages and towns have been closed, dozens of flights diverted from the area, and ferry lines between the southern islands have been canceled.