A massive waterspout swept toward a tourist boat off Italy’s coast as severe storms and deadly flash flooding battered parts of the country.
Striking video captured the towering funnel spinning over the water off San Michele di Pagana, near Rapallo in northern Italy, on Thursday morning.
In the footage, a man can be heard crying out, “no, no, no, no,” as the waterspout appears to move directly toward a tourist vessel, missing it by a narrow margin.
Nearby boats were seen pitching violently in the rough water while the vortex hurled spray into the air before finally weakening and dissipating near Preli.
According to local reports, the waterspout passed in front of Santa Margherita and came close to the tourist boat, but no damage was reported.
Further north, flooding affected areas of Veneto and Friuli after a slow-moving thunderstorm dropped between 100mm and 200mm of rain along the coast overnight.
Authorities kept the region under a yellow weather alert until Thursday evening.
Video from Lignano showed heavy rain pounding the outdoor seating area of a cafe as cars pushed through a waterlogged road.
The severe weather followed storms that killed two women in Italy and unleashed flash floods, landslides and tornadoes across the country.
A massive waterspout swept toward a tourist boat off Italy’s coast as the country faced deadly flash floods and severe storms
Dramatic footage captured the towering vortex churning across the sea off San Michele di Pagana, near Rapallo in northern Italy, on Thursday morning
A man is heard repeatedly shouting “no, no, no, no” as the waterspout appears to bear down on a tourist boat before narrowly missing it
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.
