Italy: Sicily hit by a deadly cyclone, the city of Catania devastated

Streets flooded during heavy rains in Catania, the second largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy, October 26, 2021. REUTERS - ANTONIO PARRINELLO

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The disasters caused by the tropical cyclone Medicane which is currently hitting Catania and its surroundings, on the east coast of Sicily, are not unrelated to human activities which are accelerating climate imbalances in Italy, according to experts. in climatology.

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Rains of unprecedented intensity, a wind blowing at 120 km / h, the city of Catania and its province are devastated by Cyclone Medicane.

Faced with the floods, which have already left three dead and one missing, the head of Civil Protection, Fabrizio Curzio, called a meeting in Catania to coordinate aid to the population.

He warned that the situation will deteriorate further from tomorrow, Wednesday, in Sicily but also in other regions of southern and central Italy, reports our correspondent in Rome, 

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Videos are circulating on Twitter showing a torrent of water surging through Catania city center.

City mayor talks about unprecedented disaster

🌊🔴 Catania (Sicily) under water: since yesterday torrential rains have hit southern Italy.

Blame it on #medicane, a hurricane from the Mediterranean.

The mayor of the city speaks of "exceptional unprecedented events".

pic.twitter.com/XAkR4VQpuq

- Alexandre Le Naour (@AlexLeNaour) October 26, 2021

Rivers have risen from their beds all over the Sicilian island, while landslides affect circulation.

The bad weather that has hit the land for three days, has hit but also the sea: several ships are in difficulty in the waves and sending signals to reach a port as quickly as possible.

Man-made climate extremization

In the background, experts note that the severity of the impact of the cyclone is linked to what they call "climate extremization", caused by man.

In other words: illegal real estate constructions, insufficient prevention against hydrogeological risks and increased greenhouse gas effects due to the use of fossil fuels. 

In Sicily, the rate of renewable energies does not exceed 12.5% ​​against 83% in Valle d'Aosta.

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