Bad weather, Cyclone Bernard arrives:that's why it's scary

The large lakes of Northern Italy are growing strongly and above the average for the period

ROME - Eight extreme events, including storms and tornadoes, in 24 hours across the country (some examples:in a few hours in Rocca Sigillina, in Tuscany, 177 millimeters of rain fell, while around 156 millimeters fell in Imperia and Resia in Friuli):this is what the European Sever Weather Database (ESWD) recorded last week, but the balance of cyclone Bernard, that is crossing Italy could be larger;at the beginning of this week, between October 23rd and 24th, they were already well 21 "water bombs", located mainly in Eastern Liguria, Northern Friuli, Tuscany and Lazio.These are the first examples of the expected weather stress to which the Peninsula will be subjected due to the irruption of the cold subpolar depression (the so-called Icelandic cyclone) in a Mediterranean environment that is still exceptionally warm due to the effects of the African anticyclone. The hydrogeological risk is therefore high as evidenced by the surges in flow even in watercourses, which had been stagnating at very low levels for months.

“Faced with this photograph of the country, there is an urgent need to assume collective responsibility towards a new development model, which is not based on the culture of cement and the reduction of the countryside as, unfortunately, confirmed by the recent data released by the National System for Protection of the Environment – ​​highlights Massimo Gargano, General Director of the National Association of Consortia for the Management and Protection of the Territory and Irrigation Waters (ANBI) – We reiterate the request to politics approve the law against indiscriminate land consumption as soon as possible, lost in the parliamentary recesses for 10 years!”.“At the same time – comments Francesco Vincenzi, President of ANBI – it is It is essential to enhance the figure of the farmer in the maintenance of the territory, from the mountains to the plain;we must be aware that we live in a managed environment, that is, adapted to humans:the so-called agroecosystem.We cannot remain the country of predicted disasters."

THE GROWTH OF RIVERS

The large lakes of Northern Italy, with the exception of Iseo (at 38.6% of its capacity), are growing rapidly and above the average for the period:the Maggiore grew by 70 centimeters in two days and is now at 117.3% full, the Lario is now at 79.4%;Benaco at 70.7%.The Dora Baltea in Valle d'Aosta also grew rapidly, reaching a flow rate of 20.4 cubic meters per second (m3/s), i.e. approximately +150% on the average (source:Valle d'Aosta Regional Functional Center).In Piedmont, the hitherto thirsty southern territories recorded the greatest rainfall (in 24 hours, in Garessio, in the Cuneo area, 71 mm and in Cremolino, in the Alessandria area, 63 mm) and consequently saw the flow rates of the river rods:among these, the Tanaro recorded the most sudden growth, rising from 23.3 m3/s a week ago to the current 154 m3/s, after having even reached 357 m3/s!Toce also performed well (+220% in 7 days);a curiosity:on the heights of Ronco Scrivia the winds reached 150 kilometers per hour.

In Lombardy, the Adda river records strong growth (in one week from 166 m3/s to 616 m3/s!);Regional water reserves are also gaining, which even before the wave of bad weather were approximately 7% above the average. In Veneto, the Adige and Livenza rivers rise by almost one meter, while the increase in flow in the Piave and Brenta is more limited;the Bacchiglione level remains unchanged.In Emilia-Romagna, especially on the western side, the rivers were monitored due to the fear that the disasters of 5 months ago could be replicated, but the entry into operation of the expansion tanks has mitigated the floods:the most threatening were the Parma (+8 mm), its tributary Baganza (+2.50 mm), the Taro which reached the flow rate of 245 m3/s, i.e. the highest value since January 2021 (only 2 weeks ago, the flow rate slightly exceeded 1 mc/s);peak levels are also recorded on Nure, Panaro, Secchia and Enza (source:ARPAE).An example of the now well-established localization of atmospheric events is the Po river, which remains below average in Piedmont, but grows above all in the Emilian and Lombardy sections, where it reaches flows well above historical averages, thanks to the conspicuous contributions of the Apennine tributaries.

Liguria was one of the regions most affected by the storms (151 mm of rain on Camogli in just 3 hours);This resulted in a worrying increase in the levels of watercourses with notoriously dangerous trends, especially in the Magra and Vara basins, which recorded an increase of almost m.3.70, as well as the Entella while, in western Liguria, the Argentina stream has risen by m.2.20 (source:OMIRL).In Tuscany, due to heavy rainfall, the Serchio river, which until last week was below the minimum vital flow rate, now reaches 153.60 m3/s! The Arno is also growing, with a flow exceeding 50 cubic meters per second, while the levels of Sieve and Ombrone do not undergo significant changes (source:Functional Center of the Tuscany Region).The rivers of the Marche, so far only touched by storms, remain at the levels of last week and the reservoirs hold around one and a half million cubic meters of water less than two weeks ago.In Umbria, after many months, the condition of Lake Trasimeno improves, the level of which rises by 2 centimetres;instead, the Nera and Chiascio rivers are decreasing (source:Umbria Region Hydrographic Service).

In Lazio (according to ESWD data, over 55 millimeters of water fell in Rome, causing flooding in many parts of the city, while strong winds caused damage in several municipalities), the Tiber river grows and exceeds 90 m3/s in flow;The levels of the Aniene are also increasing, while the Fiora remains stable as do the lakes of Bracciano and Nemi.In the South, which awaits the passage of Cyclone Bernard with some apprehension, "the summer continues" as demonstrated by the reservoirs of Basilicata, which continue to release around 7 million cubic meters of water per week, while those in Puglia have over 2 million used.