Sludge-filled streets: Severe Sicily storms

Severe storms hit Sicily on Saturday December 4th, leaving floods of water, mud and debris in its wake.

Thunderstorms and sharp downpours triggered damaging floods in parts of southern Italy over the weekend, with Sicily particularly badly affected.

In the east of the island, heavy rain led to flash floods around the cities of Catania, Messina and Milazzo, submerging numerous roads and cars, and leaving behind a thick layer of mud and sludge, which is still being shovelled.

For hours, as you can see on the WeatherRadar, thunderstorms remained almost stationary west of Messina, bringing enormous amounts of rain to many places.

This time of year is the peak season for storms, with low pressure systems frequenting the region, often bringing much colder air with them.

As colder air moves over the comparatively warmer sea, it acts as fuel for the storms as moisture is released into the atmosphere via evaporation, encouraging the development of powerful thunderstorms.

This year in particular, the temperatures in the Mediterranean are currently 17 to 23C, about one to four degrees above average, providing more energy than usual for these storms.

Just one week ago heavy rains triggered a deadly landslide on the Italian island of Ischia, causing several fatalities.