A powerful and sudden thunderstorm, accompanied by strong winds and hail, struck the Romagna coast before dawn, starting around 4:30 a.m. The storm first hit the areas of Ravenna and Cervia before moving with particular violence into the province of Rimini, causing significant flooding. The severe weather toppled trees and turned streets into rivers, severely disrupting traffic. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of the damage.
Beaches and bathing establishments in Cervia and Milano Marittima (Ravenna) were heavily damaged by the storm’s powerful wind gusts. Sunbeds were overturned and coverings from some structures were blown away or collapsed. In Rimini, city officials, including the councilor for civil protection Yuri Magrini, described an “exceptionally severe event” that dumped 74 millimetres of rain. Five underpasses were flooded, one with a car trapped inside. Local police are monitoring still-flooded streets, though water is receding normally now that the rain has stopped. Numerous flooded basements and fallen trees have been reported, prompting the provincial coordination center to activate support teams for the fire brigade.
Several pine trees fell onto parked cars in Milano Marittima, making some areas inaccessible. Dozens of calls for the fire department are still pending. Some reported gas leaks have been resolved, and no injuries have been reported at this time. Volunteers have been called into service. The public has been asked not to operate drones as fire department drones are conducting aerial surveys.
Rail traffic on the Rimini-Ferrara line has been suspended between Rimini and Igea Marina since 6 a.m. due to storm damage, causing potential cancellations and route limitations for regional trains. High-speed rail traffic remains regular. In a separate incident, firefighters and railway officials evacuated 23 people from a train blocked on the Rimini-Ravenna line after a tree fell on the tracks. Approximately 80 fire brigade interventions are queued in the Rimini area, with emergency teams from the Forlì-Cesena command also assisting.
The mayor of Cervia, Mattia Missiroli, and the deputy mayor reported “significant damage to cars and structures, but fortunately no reports of any injured persons.” They assured that normal conditions would be restored shortly and that the tourist activity in the broader area would continue fully.
Rimini’s municipality characterized the event as an “authentic maritime supercell,” a self-regenerating thunderstorm cell that draws humidity from the warm sea. It dumped 30-50mm of rain in approximately 20 minutes. About 30 flooding reports were logged, and teams are gradually reopening flooded underpasses. The provincial fire department operations center received 300 calls for fallen trees, branches, and flooding.
In the nearby town of Riccione, several underpasses were also flooded, but the situation is now under control. Local police and firefighters recovered a car from Viale Verdi without injury to its occupants. Mayor Daniela Angelini stated, “Today, with the return of the sun, Riccione is ready to welcome citizens and tourists, confirming itself as an attentive, resilient, and always hospitable city.”