Around 9 am today a whirlwind hit the north-eastern quadrant of Rome, concentrating between Prati Fiscali, Conca d’Oro and Montesacro. The violence of the wind hit the city while the storm was still ongoing, amplifying the effects and transforming streets and squares into a field strewn with debris. Trees – even centuries-old ones – were uprooted, while urban elements such as signs and bins were moved as if they were light objects.
The wind trajectory between via Conca d’Oro and Prati Fiscali
The phenomenon followed a precise line, crossing via dei Prati Fiscali, largo Valtournanche, via di Ponte Salario and via Conca d’Oro. The gusts, described by residents as “sudden and compact“, they hit with such intensity that they uprooted the vertical signs and lifted vases, curtains and furniture from the balconies. In several places, visibility collapsed due to the rain and debris suspended in the air. The cars in transit were forced to suddenly brake, while the wind pushed the vehicles sideways, making traffic extremely unstable.
The felled pine tree and the devastated market: an emergency scene
The most critical point was recorded in via dei Prati Fiscali, where a large urban pine tree collapsed on the roof of a fuel service station. The impact damaged the structure without causing injuries, but the scenario immediately appeared serious. Not far away, the market in Via Val di Lanzo was overwhelmed by the wind: gazebos, stalls and metal umbrellas were overturned, destroying goods and infrastructure. Operators watched helplessly as their businesses were lost in a matter of moments, as the force of the wind transformed the area into a chaos of crumpled structures and scattered materials.
Transport in crisis and a paralyzed city
The consequences quickly spread to city mobility. ATAC reported delays and diversions for several bus lines, including 38, 60, 63, 69, 80, 88, 90, 92, 93, 311, 336, 337, 338, 344, 351 and 435, due to fallen trees and blocked roads. Some sections were closed to allow the removal of trunks and the safety of the area, while traffic in the north-eastern quadrant remained heavily congested for hours.
Interventions and securing the territory
Fire Brigade, Civil Protection and Local Police intervened on site, engaged in cutting down dangerous trees and clearing the roadways. The checks on the stability of the trees will continue in the next few days, given the extent of the damage. Despite the violence of the phenomenon, no injuries were reported, but the amount of material damage is significant and concerns both urban heritage and commercial activities. In less than five minutes, the whirlwind rewrote the face of an entire quadrant of the city. An episode that brings attention to the growing intensity of increasingly extreme meteorological phenomena and the vulnerability of urban areas denser with trees and light infrastructure.
In a few minutes a disaster occurred: yet another alarm bell of a climate in haywire, which we can no longer define as simple “bad weather”.
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