On the other side of the Alps, the rains hitting the north of the country caused landslides and floods on Thursday.
If the French Alps are affected this Thursday by a substantial snow coat, northern Italy is experiencing torrential rains following a violent meteorological degradation. Strong precipitation affects foothills and Lombardy, with numerous plots of flooded land, in the line of natural disasters of 2024.
A 92-year-old man was found dead at his home by the firefighters this afternoon in Monteu Da Po, about twenty kilometers from Turin, following the floods of the Rio Della Valle. According to the Transalpine press, the former Charpentier would have drowned, according to the first findings of the rescue.
While cumulation of 130 to 200 mm are expected until late this Thursday, the Piedmont was placed in red vigilance for extreme rains and the orange alert for rains and strong winds. In detail, the maximum level of danger was declared by the Arpa environmental protection agency in seven valleys: SESIA, CERVO, CHIUSTELLA, Orco, LANZO, SANGONE and LA BASSUSUSA. The alert was demoted to orange on the high valleys of Valsusa, Chisone, Pellice, Pô and Tanaro, the Plaine du Nord, Turin and Cuneo.
The torrential rains caused the collapse of a bridge in the Biella region. The president of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, asked that “The state of emergency” be proclaimed by the government “Due to the significant damage caused by the rains”. Nearly 200 people were evacuated “As a precaution” Due to the landslides, he said in a press point this afternoon. In the Val d’Aosta, cross -border worker of France and Switzerland, more than twenty ladders were counted by the local authorities, and almost half of the municipalities were deprived of electricity. The Fréjus rail tunnel was closed as a precaution.
The highway connecting Turin to Aosta (North) was closed to traffic because partially flooded, while access to Milan parks was prohibited, a strong wind reaching in places up to 100 km/h whipping the peninsula. Local authorities call for caution by avoiding non -essential movements. They also ask to stay away from rivers and areas subject to landslides.
Significant snowfall in Switzerland
The snowfall, which also fell on the canton of Valais in Switzerland, are not unusual in the Alps in April but they surprised the inhabitants by the very large quantities fallen, which were able to exceed a meter at altitude.
“It’s really exceptional”notes Didier Beauchet, a retiree installed in Lanslebourg in Savoy for 40 years. Such quantities, “I had to see it five times”he said to AFP, while around him motorists are busy to free their cars covered with snow.
“In such a short time, it’s huge”adds Yann Geaudry, a former cross -country monitor installed in the neighboring village of Termignon who is now worried about “The risk of avalanche” Because of the instability of the snowy mantle, then “The risk of flooding when it will melt”.
