There were 120 interventions by the Fire Brigade in Turin, which was struck by a violent rainstorm around 6 PM on Friday, August 2. Several damages occurred to cars, with damaged bodies and shattered windows. Hailstones were reported to be larger than two cm. The Po River overflowed, as did Corso Moncalieri and Corso Massimo d’Azeglio. The firefighters were called to intervene on Via Torricelli, where two people were trapped in their car due to a fallen tree. In the area of the Balbis Bridge on the Po, a canoeist was rescued after ending up in the water while training with three companions.
Several tree branches fell in the city streets. The most significant hail damage occurred in the San Salvario area, where countless cars were reported with shattered windshields. Canopies and outdoor spaces were destroyed by the force of the water and hail.
For at least an hour, traffic was significantly slowed or interrupted. Even at Caselle Airport, the bad weather was felt, forcing the diversion of two flights to Linate and Malpensa.
Below are images of the storm with heavy rain and hail between mid-low Valsesia and Verbano Cusio Ossola: here is the situation from the afternoon of Thursday, August 2, in Miazzina
The point from Rai Meteo with Andrea Vuolo
The extensive anticyclone that has been affecting Italy for several days with a prolonged heatwave remains brushed by the Atlantic flow to the north, which will lead to an unstable phase in the afternoon-evening of today in parts of Piedmont. Indeed, after a sunny morning, a rapid increase in cloud cover is expected over the Alps in the coming hours, followed by the formation of showers and thunderstorms that will spread in the evening with scattered intensity even in the plains, potentially resulting in quick downpours and local hailstorms, especially between Cuneo, Asti, Turin, and Alessandria. The temperatures will remain rather high today with maximum values up to 33-35°C in the plains and significant discomfort due to humidity levels on the plains and hills. Following this, over the weekend, the upper-level currents will shift from the northwest, leading to much less muggy heat and well-sunny conditions, with only some cloud cover in the afternoons over the Alps associated with local rainfall in the medium-high Alpine valleys from Cuneo to Valsesia, more likely on Sunday afternoon. Finally, over the weekend, minimum temperatures will remain between 19 and 24°C and maximums between 30 and 34°C in the plains. However, the heat will continue to dominate even next week, likely extending through mid-August, with humidity again on the rise.