The Italian Air Force Meteorological Service issued an official warning at 14:00 CET on 4 May forecasting intense thunderstorms, gale-force winds and possible hail across Liguria, western Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna from the early hours of Tuesday 5 May through Wednesday evening. The synoptic set-up involves a deep Atlantic trough drawing moist, unstable air over the northern Tyrrhenian Sea. Convective systems are expected to generate flash flooding and wind gusts above 80 km/h, particularly along the Ligurian coast and the Apennine passes that host critical motorway and rail corridors. Airports in Genoa, Pisa and Bologna have activated weather contingency plans that include spacing out arrivals and requiring additional fuel reserves for diversions. Trenitalia has warned of potential speed restrictions on the Genoa–La Spezia and Florence–Bologna high-speed lines, while Autostrade per l’Italia may close certain motorway sections if cross-winds exceed safety thresholds. Travellers scheduled to transit the affected regions should monitor carrier updates and consider flexible tickets. Companies moving time-sensitive cargo may wish to reroute via the Brenner or Frejus corridors until the alert is lifted.
Source: Newsroom Italia
