In northern Italy, the thunderstorm and storm season is already in full swing. Several severe thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rain, hail, and strong gusts of wind, swept across Lombardy and Veneto.

The area around Palazzolo sull’Oglio in the province of Brescia was particularly hard hit, where hailstones up to 5 centimetres in diameter caused damage to cars and roofs. Trees were also stripped of their leaves while roads were blocked by fallen trees.

The hailstorm was caused by what is known as a supercell. This is a specific type of thunderstorm with a high potential for severe weather. It often brings torrential rain, large hailstones and gusts of wind.

The risk of tornadoes is also higher than with other types of thunderstorm.