Severe thunderstorms have swept across northern Italy and the Adriatic coast, causing millions in damage as supercell systems battered popular holiday regions from Venice to Ancona. Nearly 250,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the wider region during Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday.
The European Severe Storms Observatory had raised its alert to the highest risk level for an area stretching from the Po Valley to the central Balkans. In Italy's Abruzzo region, witnesses reported hailstones up to 15 centimetres in diameter, while hundreds of vehicles were damaged on the A13 motorway and extensive property destruction was reported around Ferrara. Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto were among the hardest-hit areas. A Czech tourist remained in critical condition after being struck by lightning on the Croatian island of Krk.
In Croatia, tennis-ball-sized hail hit a campsite in Rovinj, leaving two people hospitalised with head injuries. The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service has warned against sea excursions. Meanwhile, southern Italy continued to endure temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, fuelling numerous wildfires.