Landslides and floods wash away roads overlooking Lake Como in northern Italy where it’s feared severe storms could cause ‘disaster’

Landslides and flooding have washed away roads overlooking Lake Como in northern Italy, where it is feared severe storms could trigger a ‘disaster’.

The Poppea cyclone hit the Ligurian Sea from northern Europe and is likely to devastate all northern regions of the country.

Strong winds and heavy rainfall over the weekend caused widespread flooding and destruction in Italy and Spain.

Strong winds and torrential rain hit northern Italy, first in Lombardy on Saturday, when heavy storms uprooted trees and damaged roofs, and then Liguria on Sunday.

Heavy rains in recent hours have triggered a landslide in Blevio, in the province of Como in northern Italy. Video shows a river of debris and muddy water flowing down the hill and into the flooded street.

Video shows a river of debris and muddy water flowing down the hill towards the flooded street in Blevio, in the province of Como, northern Italy

A river of muddy water flows towards the road in Blevio. Heavy rains and landslides caused damage in the area and the fire service arrived on the scene

Another video shows torrential rain rushing through the port of Trieste in northern Italy as motorists brave the high winds.

There is also a significant risk of flooding in Liguria, Piedmont and Lombardy.

According to forecasts, the cyclone has started moving towards central-southern Italy, with severe thunderstorms in Puglia, especially along the Adriatic coastal areas.

Meanwhile, train services between France and Italy have been halted until Thursday at the earliest, following a massive landslide in the Maurienne valley in the French Alps.

The landslide also blocked some roads, officials said Monday.

Another video shows torrential rain racing over the port of Trieste in northern Italy

Motorists are seen braving the heavy winds and rainy conditions in Trieste, northern Italy

Weather in Northern Italy at 2:20 PM on Monday. The northwest, especially Liguria, will experience heavy rainfall and the northeast and Lombardy will also experience heavy thunderstorms later this afternoon

The Fréjus tunnel connecting France and Italy under the Alps is also closed to heavy trucks, with motorists advised to use the Mont Blanc tunnel or the A8 motorway instead.

The Spanish Mediterranean coast was hit by strong winds and torrential rain on Sunday, causing property damage and disrupting several flights.

Gusts of up to 120 km/h, torrential downpours and occasional hailstorms hit the Balearic Islands and the regions of Catalonia and Valencia, all three of which were placed under partial orange alert (high risk) by the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet) on Sunday. .