Rare and destructive tornado strikes Italian towns in Sicily
The twister reportedly flipped numerous vehicles and sent several people to the hospital
A rare tornado struck western Sicily on Friday, damaging homes and sending several people to the hospital.
The storm reportedly began as a waterspout before coming ashore and tracking several kilometres inland, hitting the towns of Petrosino and Marsala, southwest of Palermo.
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A video posted to Facebook appeared to show numerous vehicles overturned. Reuters reported on Friday that several people sustained injuries in the storm.
Friday’s incident was an example of a tornadic waterspout, which is a full-fledged tornado that forms over water. These dangerous storms can track inland, as was the case in Sicily on Friday.
Most of Italy’s organized tornado activity is centred within the Po Valley in the northern part of the country. Powerful supercell thunderstorms are known to hit cities between Milan and Venice with very large hail, destructive winds, and occasional tornadoes.
Historical records hold several dozen reports of tornadoes in Sicily since the 19th century. A particularly damaging and deadly tornado struck the city of Catania on Oct. 7, 1884.