Large hail and strong winds hit towns in Veneto and Friuli, raising fears of crop damage in a key wine-growing region.

A line of severe storms swept across parts of Veneto and Friuli on Sunday afternoon, flooding roads, covering fields with hail and bending vineyard rows under strong wind in an important wine-growing area of northeastern Italy.

The worst reports came from the Sinistra Piave area in the province of Treviso and from parts of the Destra Tagliamento area in western Friuli. According to local reports published Sunday by Nordest24, Fontanelle, San Polo di Piave and Oderzo were among the hardest-hit towns as hail and intense rain disrupted traffic and left some streets difficult to pass.

In Fontanelle and San Polo di Piave, hailstones were reported at up to 3-4 centimeters. In Oderzo, the hail arrived with a heavy downpour that turned some roads into streams within a short time, creating problems for drivers and residents. Additional reports of hail and wind also came from Francenigo and Gaiarine.

On the Friuli side, the storm cell developed over the plain around Pordenone before moving toward the Treviso area. In the Destra Tagliamento zone, including Porcia, hail was also reported, though local accounts described it as smaller than in the Treviso area.

Beyond the immediate disruption to roads and local traffic, farmers were watching the effect on crops closely. Several vineyard rows between Veneto and Friuli were reported bent by wind gusts, raising concern about damage that still had to be assessed in the hours after the storm. The combination of intense rain, hail and wind is especially risky at this stage of the growing season, when vines can suffer both direct physical damage and later sanitary problems.

That matters for the beverage sector because vineyards in this part of the northeast supply grapes for a broad range of wines. If hail tore leaves or damaged clusters, or if wind weakened trellising and canopies, growers could face lower yields or quality issues later in the season. Any losses would still need field inspections to confirm, but storms like this can force producers to plan emergency vineyard work and closer disease control after heavy moisture.

The new round of bad weather came after several difficult days across the region. Nordest24 said earlier storms and strong winds in Veneto had already led firefighters to carry out more than 390 interventions involving fallen trees, damaged roofs and flooding. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, recent instability had also been linked to lightning fires.

Sunday’s storm moved quickly from one area to another, a pattern that has marked this stretch of unstable weather in the Northeast. Forecasts cited by the local outlet pointed to the possibility of more thunderstorms later Sunday evening, keeping attention focused on areas already hit by hail and flooding.

Local authorities urged caution in travel, especially near underpasses and roads already affected by standing water, and advised residents to follow updates from civil protection officials and municipal governments as conditions evolved.

Source - https://www.vinetur.com