2 minutes ago! Italy closes all seaports! Rome prays for 77,000 people!

A sudden and unusually intense storm swept through Rome, unleashing torrential rain, violent winds, and localized flooding that left parts of the Italian capital paralyzed. Within minutes, the city’s historic streets turned into rushing streams as rainfall exceeded 60 mm in under an hour. Motorists were stranded on the Via Appia and in several underpasses after water levels rose above car windows. "I’ve lived here for 40 years and never seen water climb this fast," said Marco Benetti, a resident near the San Giovanni district. Emergency services responded to more than 500 calls, including reports of fallen trees in Trastevere, a partially collapsed roof near the Colosseum, and severe flooding inside several metro stations. Line B of the Rome Metro was temporarily shut down after water poured through ventilation shafts, forcing hundreds of commuters to evacuate. Tourists around the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Venezia were caught off guard as hail the size of small marbles began falling with strong gusts. Videos posted online show visitors running for shelter as the sky briefly turned an eerie green‑grey—a phenomenon meteorologists attribute to high moisture content and rapid downdrafts. In the coastal district of Ostia, winds exceeding 90 km/h pushed waves onto the seafront promenade, damaging cafés and overturning beach structures. Local business owner Giulia Rizzi said: "The storm lasted less than an hour, but the destruction it left behind looks like a whole night of chaos." Experts from the Italian Weather Service say the storm developed from a highly unstable air mass driven by sharp temperature contrasts over Central Italy. Climatologist Andrea Lupo warned: "These rapid, explosive systems are becoming more frequent. Southern Europe, including Rome, is increasingly vulnerable to sudden and severe convective storms." City officials urge residents to avoid low‑lying areas, stay indoors, and monitor updates as another wave of unstable weather remains possible in the coming days.