Lombardy hit by over 10,000 lightning strikes, hail and 60 km/h winds

On Monday 11 May, a powerful low‑pressure system over central‑northern Europe generated intense thunderstorms across Lombardy. The storm produced more than 10,000 lightning strikes, rain accumulations of up to 50 mm, large hail and wind gusts reaching 50‑60 km/h. The hardest‑hit areas were the Pre‑Alps and plains, especially the provinces of Como, Lecco, Sondrio, Bergamo, with strong winds also recorded in Brescia and Mantova. Arpa Lombardia noted that such high lightning activity in May is rare, comparable only to similar events recorded in 2024 on 16 May and 22 May.

Forecasters expect another perturbation to affect the region from Thursday through Saturday, bringing further rain, thunderstorms and possible snowfall on the Alps above 1,500‑1,800 m. A general improvement in weather is predicted for Sunday, 17 May.