A series of ferocious storms and torrential rains over the weekend have resulted in tragic fatalities across France, Switzerland, and Italy. Local authorities reported five deaths, underscoring the destructive impact of severe weather conditions in the region.
In France’s northeastern Aube region, three elderly individuals lost their lives on Saturday when a tree toppled onto their car amid intense winds. Another passenger remains critically injured, according to AFP.
Across the border in Switzerland, the consequences were equally dire, with two fatalities and one person reported missing following a landslide triggered by heavy rains in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. The victims, two women on holiday in the Alpine region, were tragically swept away by the landslide.
Emergency response efforts were further complicated by challenging weather conditions, making rescue operations difficult in inaccessible valleys and areas cut off from electricity and drinking water supplies. In Peccia, 300 people attending a football tournament faced evacuation, while nearly 70 individuals from a holiday camp in Mogno were also moved to safety.
In Valais, western Switzerland, civil security services evacuated “several hundred” residents and closed numerous roads as the Rhone River and its tributaries overflowed, causing widespread disruption and damage.
Meanwhile, northern Italy’s Aosta Valley witnessed dramatic scenes of floods and swollen rivers cascading down mountainsides, prompting widespread concern and emergency responses.
Scientists continue to highlight that climate change, exacerbated by human activity, is intensifying the severity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events such as floods and ferocious storms, underscoring the urgent need for climate resilience and mitigation measures.