Atlantic Storm Charles Brings Heavy Rain and Wind to Italy
“Stiamo parlando di un El Niño senza precedenti, che sta crescendo di intensità su un pianeta mai così caldo, e di una corrente a getto che scorre su mari eccezionalmente caldi, quindi di una situazione esasperata,” said Giulio Betti, a meteorologist and climatologist at CNR, describing to Fanpage.it how extreme climate patterns are driving severe weather across Italy.
The disturbance forms part of a broader series of Atlantic fronts moving across Europe, bringing persistent rain, strong winds, and mountain snow. The current rainy phase was triggered by an atmospheric circulation pattern linked to intense El Niño activity, which is causing an exaggerated deviation in the jet stream.
Betti explained to Fanpage.it that the jet stream is shifting over North America before dipping toward the tropical Atlantic and rising into Europe. This specific configuration draws warm air and heavy moisture toward the continent, resulting in unseasonably mild temperatures alongside heavy precipitation.
Italy is receiving the remnants of Atlantic storm Charles, which previously impacted Portugal and Spain with winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour. The system is bringing frequent rains and mountain snow expected to last until Saturday, November 14, according to iLMeteo.it.
The most intense phase of the storm arrives between Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13. Widespread rainfall is affecting Tyrrhenian regions, western Emilia, Umbria, Lazio, and Campania before extending toward central and northern areas, including Friuli.
Precipitation totals could surpass 200 millimeters between eastern Liguria and upper Tuscany, according to iLMeteo.it. Meanwhile, a train of Atlantic disturbances could drive cumulative totals as high as 250 to 300 millimeters in localized areas throughout the week.
The Spanish meteorological agency Aemet warned of persistent rains and local flooding in western and southern regions of Spain, with wind gusts surpassing 100 kilometers per hour ahead of the system’s eastward shift. In Italy, the highest exposure centers on the Apuan Alps, the Lucca and Pistoia highlands, and the Ligurian hinterland, where moist southwesterly winds force air upward against mountain slopes.
The primary hazard stems from the sheer persistence of the rainfall rather than isolated thunderstorms. High cumulative totals concentrated over a short timeframe threaten to strain minor river networks and trigger mudslides in vulnerable mountain districts.
The unstable weather pattern is projected to linger across parts of Italy until November 18 through November 20, driven by the persistent high-pressure anomaly stationed over North America. A gradual improvement and more stable conditions are anticipated to arrive by Sunday, November 15, according to iLMeteo.it.