Deadly Sicilian cyclone drops a year’s rain in 48 hours

At least two people were killed in a rare cyclone that engulfed streets and turned squares into lakes in Catania.

Torrents of water poured down the central Via Etnea, sweeping away cars and flooding houses, as some areas had almost a year of rain in 48 hours, approximately 500mm.

On Tuesday, a 53-year-old man drowned after the flood washed him away as he got out of his car in Gravina di Catania, north of the city center. Over the weekend, a 67-year-old man was killed when his car was hit by a torrent of water and mud in another town, Scordia. His wife is still missing.

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