Wildfires and Storms Kill 5 in Italy

At least five people were killed in Italy as a result of violent thunderstorms in the north of the country and wildfires in Sicily.

At dawn on Tuesday, strong winds blew, heavy rains and hail showers hit Milan, the country's economic capital, flooding the streets and falling trees on the roads.

The public transport company said there was extensive damage to the power grid, while an AFP journalist reported a temporary water outage in the historic center of the city.

In addition to the bad weather in the north of the country, the south is affected by a heat wave, with a record of 47.6 degrees Celsius on Monday in Catania, Sicily, according to Civil Protection.

During the night, firefighters in Sicily battled several blazes, one of which reached a site near Palermo airport, which was closed for several hours in the morning. Rail traffic was also affected by these fires.