Moment giant water spout bears down on tourist boat in Italy as country is lashed with deadly flash floods and storms
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By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
A huge waterspout bore down on a tourist boat off the coast of Italy as the country was lashed by deadly flash floods and storms.
Dramatic footage shows the towering vortex churning across the sea off San Michele di Pagana, near Rapallo in northern Italy, on Thursday morning.
A man can be heard repeatedly shouting 'no, no, no, no' as the waterspout appears to head towards a tourist boat in its path, narrowly missing the vessel.
Other boats can be seen rocking violently on the waves as the twister whips up huge amounts of spray before eventually dissipating near Preli.
Local reports said the waterspout passed in front of nearby Santa Margherita and came close to the tourist boat but caused no damage.
Elsewhere, flooding was reported across parts of Veneto and Friuli after a slow-moving thunderstorm dumped between 100mm and 200mm of rain along the coast overnight.
The region was placed under a yellow weather alert until Thursday evening.
Footage from Lignano shows torrential rain battering the outdoor seating area of a cafe as cars make their way along a flooded road.
It comes after two women were killed as ferocious storms battered Italy, triggering flash floods, landslides and tornadoes.
A huge waterspout bore down on a tourist boat off the coast of Italy as the country was lashed by deadly flash floods and storms
Dramatic footage shows the towering vortex churning across the sea off San Michele di Pagana, near Rapallo in northern Italy, on Thursday morning
A man can be heard repeatedly shouting 'no, no, no, no' as the waterspout appears to head towards a tourist boat in its path, narrowly missing the vessel
Bad weather at the Coliseum in Rome, Italy, on September 10
A tree fell on cars in via Morgagni due to bad weather Milan - Italy
Severe thunderstorms pummelled northern and central regions, with more than 63,000 lightning strikes recorded in Tuscany in just 12 hours.
Emergency crews carried out more than 200 rescue operations, while dozens of people were forced to flee their homes.
In Milan, the Lambro River burst its banks, sending water surging through city streets.
An 83-year-old woman drowned in Latisana after becoming trapped in her car during flash floods.
A police officer dived into the water and pulled her from the vehicle, but she could not be saved. He was taken to hospital with injuries sustained during the rescue.
A second elderly woman died after a tornado struck the Sinalunga area on Thursday.
She had reportedly been closing a window when the glass shattered and a shard severed a major vein in her leg.
The powerful winds also ripped the roof from a sports hall in Sinalunga and brought down trees.
Local authorities said the area had been 'hit by a particularly intense weather event', adding that roofs of homes and businesses had also been damaged.
The storms caused further chaos across Italy, with the Tagliamento River overflowing and homes flooded in several towns along its banks.
In Venice, firefighters rushed to rescue a pregnant woman who became trapped inside her car on Thursday morning, amid around 140 calls for help received by the city's fire brigade.
Around 45 people were evacuated from their homes in Cataeggio, near Sondrio, after heavy rain triggered a landslide.
The downpours also flooded parts of Brescia's Civili hospital, while firefighters in the eastern Marche region received more than 100 calls over damaged buildings and fallen trees.
Emergency crews have been deployed across the country as the extreme weather continues to cause widespread disruption.
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