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By Laura Gozzi
From north to south, Italy has been battered by extreme weather.
In Sicily, fires are raging after weeks of record temperatures, with local media warning that Palermo is “encircled” by fires.
The northern regions are reeling from violent storms and high winds that uprooted trees and lifted roofs.
Hailstones the size of tennis balls damaged cars and destroyed crops in some places.
In Brescia, a 16-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on her tent, while in Lissone, north of Milan, a middle-aged woman died when a falling tree hit her tent.
The regions of Lombardy and Veneto experienced torrential rain and strong winds overnight, reaching speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) in Milan. As a result of a high risk of branches snapping off trees, local authorities told residents to stay away from public parks on Tuesday.
As a result of severe weather damage, the 15th-century Sforza Castle in the city was closed to the public on Tuesday.
Mayor Giuseppe Sala said: “I have never seen anything like this… We can’t deny it any longer – climate change is changing our lives.”
Mr Sala said in a Facebook video that “we can’t pretend it doesn’t exist and we can’t keep doing nothing.”
As a result of the prolonged heatwave in Sicily, wildfires are now threatening towns and cities across the island. Temperatures in Catania reached 47.5C (117F) on Monday.
The island’s resorts and tourist hotspots have begun evacuating their guests.
After wildfires in the hills surrounding Palermo Airport reached the airport perimeter on Tuesday morning, the airport was temporarily closed to air traffic.
In a house near Palermo airport, two bodies were found charred from the fires across southern Italy.
As a result of the fires in Sicily, an 88-year-old woman died after falling ill.
In Calabria, a 98-year-old bedridden man died when a wildfire reached his home.
After spending hours battling a fire in Sardinia, a firefighter died from a stroke.
High winds are fueling the blazes near Palermo, which resulted in a firefighter being seriously injured.
The extreme heat has already caused more than 200 people in Palermo to seek medical treatment for smoke inhalation. Two hospitals have suspended routine appointments so people suffering from smoke inhalation can be treated.
As a result of consistently high temperatures, half of Palermo’s bus network has been suspended.
It has been reported that some wards at the Hospital Cervello, in the north of the city, have been evacuated due to the flames.
A farmer’s association, Coldiretti, said Sicily faced an “unprecedented catastrophe” and “incalculable environmental damage”.
Nello Musumeci, the minister for civil protection, wrote on Facebook: “This is one of the most difficult days in Italy’s history. Climate change demands that we all change. We have no choice.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Italian radio RTL 102.5, “We knew today would be the most difficult day.” Very high temperatures and wind prevent Canadair [firefighting aircraft] from being used.
“We are monitoring the situation, which is very delicate, minute by minute.”.
According to Giulio Betti, a climate expert and meteorologist in Italy, the heatwave in the south of the country and the storms in the north are “two sides of the same coin”.
According to Mr Betti, the northern regions, which were surrounded by both Atlantic air and hot African air, became perfect breeding grounds for very intense storms.
A striking feature of this year’s heatwaves is their intensity, frequency, and duration.
A state of emergency has been requested by several regions.
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