Latest weather news as popular British holiday hotspots hit by wet weather with roads turning into rivers and hundreds of people trapped across Europe amid heavy rainfall
Yet another holiday hotspot popular with Brits has been hit by wild weather, with one woman missing after reportedly being swept away in flash flooding.
Torrential rain and flash flooding is causing chaos in parts of Sicily, Italy with roads being turned into rivers due to the heavy rainfall. Video footage shows cars floating down village streets, with residents of Agrigento Town and the San Leone hamlet unable to leave their homes.
According to local media reports, one woman was swept away by the water after getting out of her car when it became stuck due to the horrific weather. Firefighters are continuing to search for the woman, but are yet to locate her.
Parts of Italy have been hit by severe floods over the past week, as hundreds of schoolchildren, along with a mum and a 10-month-old baby who were standing on the roof of a car, had to be rescued from floodwaters after being left stranded by the fast moving water. Officials say more than 650 emergency incidents were recorded across Lombardy, with more than 200 firefighters involved.
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In Milan, the Seveso River overflowed its banks, close to several schools as water raced through the neighbourhood. The nearby Lambro River also rose to dangerous levels, and saw mobile flood barriers quickly installed in a bid to see off the worst of the water.
One German tourist died after being swept away by flash flooding in Spigno Monferrato, while many homes and businesses suffered severe water damage. A number of other popular holiday hotspots have been hit by wild spring weather.
Rain was seen leaking through the roof of Ibiza Airport this week, with a red weather alert issued for holidaymakers heading to the Balearic party island amid expectations of widespread travel disruption. Footage shared on social media showed torrential downpours coming down through the ceiling of the airport, pouring on to the luggage carousels.
Spanish weather officials warned on Tuesday: “Torrential rains in Ibiza and Formentera. More than 180 mm in twelve hours. Caution! Extraordinary danger. There may be flooding and sudden rises in waterways. The alert is in effect until 16:00 h.”
The extreme weather was as a result of Storm Gabrielle sweeping the Atlantic, with other areas of Spain also heavily impacted. Jaw-dropping footage shows streets in Valencia being turned into rivers, while lightening strikes were recorded in Zaragoza on Sunday night.
Drivers could be seen trapped in their vehicles in the middle of raging torrents as they wait to be rescued. In Greece, some holidaymakers have been given no choice but to sleep on the airport floor as treacherous weather sparked travel chaos.
Travellers have faced a crisis at Zakynthos Airport in Greece following two days of disruptive weather including flash floods and torrential rain. Passenger, Amber Tate, 21, from Washington, described the horrendous scenes when she arrived to the airport.
Amber and her best friend Bethany Griffiths said people became “pushy and impatient” as they waited for an update about their flight. Speaking about the ordeal, she said: “We got our transfer to the airport at 6.20pm, and were met with huge crowds outside the airport, with many more arriving to drop people off soon after. We stayed within this crowd for three hours as flash floods of rain began to come.
“We were told nothing throughout the experience, having to speak to people in the crowd about where the toilets were, where we could get water, and if they knew if our flight was cancelled. People who had checked in were told to get their bags once again. My parents booked a hotel at around 9:20pm to ensure we had a place for the night as they assumed we wouldn’t be coming home.
“We waited longer as people got gradually more pushy and impatient during the storm, and at 10:17pm, I received an email stating the flight was cancelled, and we will now be taken to Manchester instead. After managing to get to a hotel, we have both cried endlessly and are terrified of flying now as we have lost all faith in travelling. This experience has not only drained us but depleted our confidence, and left us with some awful memories at the end of an amazing holiday.”