Storm Alert Covers Twelve Italian Regions as Rome Waits Out the Front

Twelve Italian regions were placed under storm alert on Friday, The Local Italy reported, after heavy rain caused flooding and disruption in parts of the country. The same outlet said forecasters expect conditions to improve over the weekend.

The alert follows a cold front that moved down the peninsula earlier in the week. The Local Italy reported on Wednesday that rain and cooler weather would spread across Italy as the front arrived, with the north seeing the first showers before the rain moved towards central and southern regions.

Civil protection authorities in Italy issue regional alerts of this kind on a graded scale, and the practical effect is local: school closures, road and rail interruptions, and instructions to avoid underpasses and riverbanks. The reporting does not specify which twelve regions are covered, nor does it give casualty figures or damage estimates.