All over Europe, the summer of 2022 will be remembered for its drought and scorching heat. Here in Florence a hose-pipe ban was imposed from 28th July till 30th September; terrible news for a nation of allotment owners.
Finally the much-needed rain was forecast last week.
On 15th August Florence was battered by violent torrential rain. Winds up of 100 km per hour were followed by terrifying electrical storms. Trees fell and there were black-outs and damage to property and cars; 400 homes were damaged in the nearby town of Bagno a Ripoli. On that night 40 mm of rain fell during three intense hours and a local river, the Ema, burst its banks. The next day the Palio horse-race in Siena was cancelled due to a similar biblical downpour. The storms continued until yesterday, with heavy rain and hail in places.
This morning, the countryside is gleaming, the air feels clean and clear. The “sol leone” or dog days of summer are coming to a close. We feel very fortunate here at Arsenio to have been spared the damage and, nothing short of miraculous, to have only had the advantages of this essential and vital rain.
Buona domenica.