Violent tornado tears through Marsala, flipping cars and damaging school amid European storms

A severe tornado hit the coastal city of Marsala in the Trapani province of Sicily on Friday, producing winds strong enough to flip multiple cars, one of which was thrown into a nearby ravine, and to smash windows and overturn furniture at the Alcide De Gasperi school. The Italian fire service, Vigili del Fuoco, dispatched five crews and additional reinforcements from Palermo and Agrigento, and paramedics treated two people for non-life-threatening injuries.

Witnesses described the whirlwind as expanding rapidly and causing panic across the town. The storm was part of a broader pattern of extreme weather across Europe, with floods and high winds affecting Italy, Spain and other regions. Meteorologists noted the tornado could be the most intense in Sicily in decades. Authorities continue to assess damage and search for any missing persons.