A day of high drama

Intense rain through the night with high winds brought very high river levels and some flooding. At one point the meek Arno river was flowing at over 2,000 cubic metres a second. For comparison the Thames at Richmond today was flowing at a mere 81 cubic metres a second.

There were real fears for Florence and Pisa. Tonight the Arno was at over four metres flowing by the Uffizi galleries and the big flood relief channel - the scolmatore - was opened to lessen pressure on Pisa after the army was called in to install the temporary flood paneling along the city river banks.

A bad flood sent water pouring through Sesto Fiorentino when the Rimaggio torrent burst its banks. The Sieve, a large Arno tributary also burst its banks in three places in the Mugello - the headwater reservoir at Barberino being absolutely full so about as much use as a chocolate teapot in terms of flood relief.

The flood alert was raised from orange to red at noon and museums and libraries were closed - schools were closed all day. The red alert remains in force through tomorrow as more rain is falling tonight.

The Arno with its large mountainous catchment characterised by often very steep, if wooded, slopes is no stranger to devastating flooding. Post war development has vastly increased the percentage of Tuscany’s population at risk. A programme of flood control works remains, I believe, unfinished and there are some experts who say it is a question of when not if. The recent Bisenzio floods (an Arno tributary close to Prato just downstream of Florence) caused massive disruption, heartache and economic damage.

We are lucky to be perched on our steep hillside well away from our own torrents which were roaring in the night. The steepness brings its own issues but, touch wood, we appear unscathed.

The photo is the Solano at our nearby village of Strada in Casentino.