29 inches of rain in 12 hours in Italy sets new European record
More than 29 inches of rain – nearly two-and-a-half feet – fell in 12 hours in Italy this week, breaking a European record, as parts of the country were hit by extreme weather.
The commune of Rossiglione in Genoa, Liguria, was among the worst affected with the record deluge of 29.2in of rain on Monday causing floods and landslides.
Typically, the region gets about 50 inches of rain in an entire year, according to Climate-Data.org.
A bridge in Quiliano, near Savona in Northern Italy, collapsed after heavy rainfall. Pic: AP
Red alerts – the highest level – were issued across the regions of Liguria, Piedmont and Lombardy.
Images and video footage showed destruction caused by the storms, including a collapsed bridge in the town of Quiliano, near Savona, in northern Italy.
Dozens of people had to be rescued and others were urged to stay at home by Katia Piccardo, mayor of Rossiglione, who warned of a “very dangerous situation” on her Facebook page as the heavy rain battered the area.
In her latest post on Thursday, she wrote that “Rossiglione has been brought to her knees”.
“I’m back from the last inspection now. In these 72 endless hours the hours of sleep can be counted on the fingers of one hand and interrupted by a thousand thoughts for my fellow citizens, for my land. We have a myriad of disasters and open fronts,” she said.
Liguria, in northwest Italy, was the worst affected region. Pic: AP
In the nearby town of Cairo Montenotte, about 20 miles west of Rossiglione, a record 19.5 inches of rain fell in just six hours on Monday. The previous record was 18.5 inches.
Several rivers broke their banks. The Erro flooded areas of Pontinvrea; the Bormida river overflowed in Cairo Montenotte; and the Letimbro caused flooding in the city of Savona, according to FloodList.
Towns in Liguria’s hilly areas also suffered flooding and landslides, as some streams overflowed their banks.
The port city of Genoa, the region’s most populous area, shut schools and also ordered the closure of parks, markets, sports facilities and cemeteries when the heavy downpours struck.
Rainfall records were broken in areas across northern Italy on Monday. Pic: AP
Monday’s extreme weather follows a summer of floods in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Record-breaking amounts of rain fell on Germany and Belgium in July, killing more than 200 people and destroying homes, businesses and infrastructure.
Scientists have warned these kind of heavy rainstorms are being fuelled by climate change, with the World Weather Attribution group saying such extreme rainfall events are now between 1.2 and 9 times more likely to happen because of global warming.
Bolivian armed forces have taken over the capital’s central square as an armoured vehicle rammed through the entrance of the presidential palace as the president said the country is facing a coup attempt.
The country’s president, Luis Arce, warned an “irregular” deployment of troops had taken place and called for “democracy to be respected” on X as Bolivian TV showed two tanks and a number of soldiers in front of the government palace in La Paz.
Video on Bolivian TV showed Mr Arce confronting the general commander of the army, Juan Jose Zuniga, in the palace hallway, telling him: “I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination.”
Soldiers stand guard outside Bolivia’s presidential palace. Pic: AP
An armoured vehicle rams into the door of the presidential palace. Pic: AP
Before entering the building Mr Zuniga told journalists in the plaza: “Surely soon there will be a new cabinet of ministers; our country, our state cannot go on like this.”
Mr Zuniga said he recognises President Arce as commander in chief “for now”.
In a video surrounded by his cabinet Mr Arce said he is standing firm against an attempted coup.
Military police stand amid tear gas outside the presidential palace. Pic: AP
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales denounced the movement of the military in the Murillo square outside the palace in a post on X, calling it a coup “in the making”.
Mr Zuniga earlier confirmed the movement of uniformed officers and said: “We are upset by the affront, enough is enough.”
He spoke on TV of “attacks on democracy” without elaborating.
Maria Nela Prada, minister of the presidency and a top Bolivian official, said military and tanks were taking over the plaza, calling it an “attempted coup d’etat”.
“The people are on alert to defend democracy,” she told local television station Red Uno.
Bolivia has faced mounting protests in recent months over the steep decline of its economy over the last two decades.
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World
Evan Gershkovich: US journalist seen with shaved head as he goes on trial in Russia for spying
Evan Gershkovich has been seen with a shaved head as he went on trial behind-closed-doors in Russia accused of spying.
Reporters were allowed to briefly film the US journalist on Wednesday before the start of the hearing in the city of Yekaterinburg where he is charged with espionage, which he denies.
Mr Gershkovich was seen standing in a glass box wearing a black-and-blue checked shirt before the proceedings were closed.
The 32-year-old’s trial is to take place behind closed doors. Pic: Reuters
The next hearing was set for 13 August.
The Wall Street Journal reporter was first arrested and detained in March 2023 after Russia claimed he had been “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA.
The 32-year-old reporter, who has already spent nearly 15 months behind bars in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo jail, faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
Russian courts convict more than 99% of the defendants who come before them, and prosecutors can appeal sentences they regard as too lenient, and can even appeal acquittals.
Last week, the first details of the allegations against him emerged as it was claimed he was seeking details about Uralvagonzavod, a facility that produces and repairs military equipment, the prosecutor general’s office said.
The authorities have not publicly disclosed any evidence to back up the accusations.
The trial is due to take place behind closed doors – something Russia says is normal in espionage cases.
Mr Gershkovich, his employer and the US government strongly deny the claims and Washington has designated him wrongfully detained.
Jay Conti, executive vice president and general counsel for Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, described the trial as a sham, saying: “He was an accredited journalist doing journalism, and this is a sham trial, bogus charges that are completely trumped up.”
“Evan has done nothing wrong. He should never have been arrested in the first place. Journalism is not a crime,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week.
He added: “The charges against him are false. And the Russian government knows that they’re false. He should be released immediately.”
The reporter makes a heart-shaped gesture at a previous court appearance. Pic Reuters
The White House has sought to negotiate Mr Gershkovich’s release, but Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow would consider a prisoner swap only after a trial verdict.
However, that could be months away, because Russian trials often adjourn for weeks.
While Russia-US relations are fraught over the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin and Washington did agree a high-profile prisoner exchange in 2022 that secured the release of basketball star star Brittney Griner, who was serving a lengthy sentence for cannabis possession.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested Mr Gershkovic could be swapped in return for the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian imprisoned in Germany for assassinating a Chechen rebel leader in Berlin.
However, this would require the cooperation of Germany in a Russia-US dispute.
Mr Gershkovich, the American-born son of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, was the first US journalist detained on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 at the height of the Cold War.
It followed a crackdown on freedom of speech after Mr Putin sent troops into Ukraine.
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