Greece and northern Italy face travel disruption from heavy rain and storms

Atlantic weather system brings severe disruption to Northern Italy
Orange alerts in force for Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Marche
Rivers burst banks in Lombardy submerging neighbourhoods
Greece expects rain and thunderstorms over Crete and Dodecanese
Strong northerly winds in Aegean may cause ferry delays

An intense Atlantic weather system has brought severe travel disruptions, torrential rain and flash flooding across Northern and Central Italy. The Italian Civil Protection Agency has issued multiple orange and yellow weather alerts as rivers overflow, infrastructure buckles and landslides block key transportation routes. The Seveso and Lambro rivers in Lombardy have burst their banks submerging neighbourhoods and flooding city streets.

Torrential downpours in Liguria have triggered flash floods and emergency evacuations in Chiavari and Calvari where the Lavagna River overflowed. Major rail lines are blocked by debris and underpasses in Udine province are submerged. Regional train delays of up to an hour have been reported with replacement buses deployed on some routes. The weather front is moving southward with Rome experiencing rapid street flooding in districts including EUR and Garbatella.

Orange alerts are in force for Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Marche. Yellow alerts are active for Lombardy, Liguria, Lazio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Umbria and Trentino-Alto Adige. Authorities urge travellers to defer non-essential travel in the hard-hit northern zones. Unsettled conditions are expected in Greece on 17 September with local rain and isolated thunderstorms mainly over Crete and the Dodecanese. Strong northerly winds in the Aegean Sea are forecast to reach 6 to 7 Beaufort which frequently results in ferry delays or cancellations.