Man missing as torrential rains flood northern Italy
Firefighters in Milan said they responded to dozens of calls to rescue people stuck in their cars in flooded underpasses and to drain basements.
A wave of violent rainstorms battered northern Italy on Thursday, flooding the financial hub of Milan and raising fears for the life of a man who was swept away on a tractor in the Piedmont region.
Footage from state TV RAI showed the wheel of the vehicle still visible inside the Orco creek, near Turin, where the tractor overturned in muddy water.
Rescuers said they were searching for the missing 58-year-old man.
Two other northern regions, Lombardy and Veneto, were hit by widespread flooding, which caused damage and disruption in the city of Milan, where the Seveso and Lambro rivers overflowed.
Firefighters in Milan said they responded to dozens of calls to rescue people stuck in their cars in flooded underpasses and to drain basements filled with water.
Scientists say that the climate crisis is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, downbursts and flooding, in Europe and around the globe.
They say storms are becoming heavier because warm air can hold more moisture.
Southern Italy recently has been suffering a severe drought, causing massive problems for local agriculture and tourism, especially on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.
