Destructive tornado hits Italy

A powerful storm with a tornado and large hail struck the city of Cremona in northern Italy, leaving dozens of people injured and causing significant damage to the city's infrastructure and residential buildings.

According to the Italian fire and rescue service, within a few hours rescuers received more than 500 calls related to the consequences of the bad weather. At least ten churches in the city were damaged, including Cremona's main cathedral.

One of the most noticeable consequences of the disaster was the damage to the cathedral. A spire was torn off one of its towers, significantly changing the appearance of one of the city's main landmarks. In a number of historic churches, windows were shattered and skylights were damaged.

The storm also caused serious damage to residential areas. Twelve families had to be evacuated after their homes were damaged by debris and torn-off roofing structures. Hundreds of trees were knocked down across the city, the roofs of numerous buildings were damaged, and low-lying sections of roads were flooded.

The damage to cars turned out to be especially serious. According to preliminary estimates, about 10,000 vehicles were damaged by large hail and falling trees. In addition, the storm destroyed several agricultural buildings and barns.

At the moment the tornado passed through, a local festival was taking place in Cremona. Strong winds damaged the pavilions set up for the event, as a result of which people were also injured. The director of the city's emergency service, Francesca Co, reported numerous injuries sustained during the storm.

The scale of the destruction proved so significant that city authorities expect the total damage to amount to several million euros.

Source: CNN