Devastating storms have caused sudden floods and have literally transformed Syracuse in Italy into a vast swimming pool, with the images being released showing the chaos that prevails.
According to the Daily Mail, dramatic footage published on social media shows motorcycles almost completely submerged under flood waters and cars trying to move slowly with their vehicles flickering. The videos were shot near a central square of the tourist resort.
Red and white tables and chairs can also be seen being swept away by the rushing waters where roads once existed. Two pedestrians, holding umbrellas to protect themselves from the storm, walk through the water, which has reached up to their knees.
The National Meteorological Service, the ItaliaMeteo Agency, issued a warning for moderate rainfall and storms for the coming days. The latest severe weather in Sicily comes after similar flash floods on October 1st that hit the cities of Agrigento and San Leone, preventing residents from leaving their homes.
Spain also at the mercy of severe weather
Meanwhile, Spain is also battling a major storm that hit the country yesterday, with floods leaving tourists stranded at airports and lightning making people run for safety. Dramatic videos show cars struggling against torrents in Barcelona, where an indoor shelter warning was issued. Stormy winds and torrential rains also caused chaos on the tourist island of Mallorca, where flights were grounded and roads blocked as the area was hit by Storm Melissa. Meteocat, Catalonia’s meteorological service, put Barcelona on orange alert as the city was hit by hail and rain caused by the downgraded hurricane that wreaked havoc on the island of Jamaica.
Residents were urged to take “extreme precautions” and advised to avoid travel in affected areas as Storm Melissa swept across the Iberian Peninsula. Notably, in Galicia, a coastal region, waves exceeding 5 meters in height were recorded, while in Barcelona, the severe weather conditions caused problems with the operation of El Prat airport.
