Rome, January 5th – An orange weather alert has been issued for the entire territory of Rome Capital for January 6th due to intense severe weather. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri has signed an ordinance implementing safety measures, including the closure of parks, historic villas, and cemeteries. The adverse weather conditions, which have affected the city since January 4th, have led to flooding, structural collapses, and various damages across the region. Emergency services have responded to approximately 200 incidents within the last 24 hours.
Mayor Gualtieri’s Ordinance: Restrictions and Recommendations
The ordinance signed by Mayor Gualtieri prohibits recreational and non-competitive sports activities in public areas or areas open to the public. Access to areas beneath suspended loads or trees is also restricted. Cemeteries are closed, except for urgent needs. Residents are advised to avoid underpasses, flood-prone areas, and basements, to limit time spent on balconies, and to exercise caution while driving and in coastal zones.
Impact on the Roman Coast and Nearby Areas
The severe weather has caused significant disruption along the Roman coast. Flooding has been reported in parts of Fiumicino, where a tree fell on Via di Torrimpietra. Roads in the Focene area are also submerged. Events scheduled for Epiphany, including the ‘Befana Isolana’ in Isola Sacra and the ‘Living Nativity Scene’ in Testa di Lepre, have been canceled due to the adverse conditions.
Evacuations and Rescues
In Cassino, eight individuals were evacuated from their homes and relocated to safer areas due to heavy rainfall. Police and firefighters intervened in Cassino’s industrial zone, where floodwaters reached 50 centimeters inside several buildings. The evacuated residents are now with family members, and police are monitoring the abandoned properties to prevent looting.
In Rome, two young women, aged 21 and 24, were rescued from a flooded basement apartment on Via di Trigoria around 2:30 AM. Firefighters cut through iron bars to reach them, finding them suffering from hypothermia after water levels rose to approximately 50 centimeters from the ceiling.
Widespread Damage Across the Capital
The storm has caused notable structural damage in Rome. A pine tree over 20 meters tall collapsed on Via dei Fori Imperiali, near the Colosseum, close to a tourist information point and metro station entrances. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Additionally, a padel structure collapsed in Ciampino, within the Castelli Romani area, due to the intense downpour.
Early this morning, firefighters also responded to Via Ardeatina, where two truck drivers were trapped in their vehicles due to flooding, preventing their exit.
Orange and Yellow Alerts Across Italy
The Civil Protection has issued an orange weather-hydro alert for January 6th, affecting parts of Lazio and Molise. A yellow alert is in effect for ten other regions across central and southern Italy, stretching from Marche to Sicily. Forecasts indicate continued heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, particularly in the central-southern Tyrrhenian regions. Decreasing temperatures in central regions are expected to bring snowfall down to hilly areas, and locally to sea level, in eastern Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria, eastern Tuscany, and extending to Abruzzo and eastern Lazio in the afternoon. The phenomena will be accompanied by intense downpours, frequent lightning, and strong wind gusts.
This severe weather event highlights the increasing frequency of extreme weather phenomena, including supercell thunderstorms, which experts attribute to climate change. These events, once typical of the US plains, are now more common in the Mediterranean region. [tg24.sky.it](https://tg24.sky.it/cronaca/video/2025/12/01/i-titoli-di-sky-tg24-del-1-dicembre-2025-edizione-h13-1056294)
