One dies in violent storm pounding Milan

One person was killed by a falling tree near Milan, local firefighters said on Sunday, as a powerful storm battered the northern Italian city after days of high temperatures.

The 63-year-old woman died in the town of Robecchetto con Induno, west of Milan, as she was returning from a walk with two other people who were injured in the incident and have been hospitalised, the firefighters said.

Firefighters have dealt with about 50 incidents so far, with another 37 still pending. Most involve dangerous trees, flooded basements and taverns, and advertising billboards torn down by strong winds.

According to Italian news agency Ansa, heavy rains also hit the eastern Veneto region, where bad weather swept areas around the cities of Belluno and Vicenza, as well as parts of Tuscany, where falling trees were also reported.

While rain and gales pounded the north, temperatures remained close to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in much of southern and central Italy, including in Rome.

Much of Europe has sweltered in an early summer heatwave which officials have linked to at least eight deaths on the continent.

Source:  Reuters