Hail balls the size of tennis balls fell from the sky in the night from Wednesday to Thursday during a severe thunderstorm in northern Italy. 110 people were injured, mainly as a result of the hail, glass splinters and falls. One person was seriously injured after falling from a roof.
The Veneto region, in the northeast of the country, has been particularly hard hit by gusty winds, hailstorms and heavy rain. The provinces of Venice, Padua, Vicenza and Treviso were particularly hard hit. Some hailstones were the size of tennis balls and caused heavy damage.
“No province was spared from the bad weather, which wreaked havoc on the countryside,” said Luca Zaia, the president of the Veneto region. Crops, agricultural infrastructure and vineyards suffered extensive damage, as did roofs, houses and cars.
The fire service said it had to answer at least 200 calls since Wednesday evening, for example to remove fallen trees in the streets and to protect the roofs of houses. The fire brigade and civil protection together registered about 350 emergency calls. The storm also caused major damage in the city of Trent, especially in the woods.
The exact extent of the damage and losses is still under investigation. Many companies closed their doors on Thursday “due to repair work”.