Heavy Rainfall and Wind Expected in Northern Italy and Southeastern France

Affected by a Mediterranean cyclone (Figure 1), moderate to heavy rain is expected in southeastern France, central and northern Italy, southern Switzerland, and nearby coastal areas from April 16 to 17，and some regions will experience torrential or heavy torrential rain, accompanied by severe convective weather such as short-duration intense rainfall and thunderstorms with strong winds. Accumulated precipitation is forecasted to range from 30 to 60 mm, with some areas receiving 70 to 120 mm, and localized totals exceeding 150 mm (Figure 2). Wind speeds in these regions will reach 4 - 6 on the Beaufort scale, with gusts of 7 - 9, and coastal areas may experience gusts as high as 10 - 11 (Figure 3).

Figure 1: 500 hPa Geopotential Height (Contour Lines) and 850 hPa Wind Field (Wind Barbs) at 1200 UTC, April 17, 2025

Figure 2: Forecasted Accumulated Precipitation for April 16-17, 2025 (Unit: mm)

Figure 3: Maximum Wind Speed (units: m/s) Over the Past 24 Hours as of 1200 UTC, April 17, 2025

Author: Yang Jing                                 Reviewer: Liu Xiaobo 

English reviewer:Wang Yi                                                                       Issue approver:Dai Kan