Shocking video footage captured the moment tourists were forced to flee an Italian beach after a tornado hit, while giant waterspouts formed on the coast.
On Sunday, the twister was filmed causing chaos on a stretch of beach in Maccarese, on the coast of north Rome.
Dozens of sunseekers in bathing suits were seen running from the strong whirlwind as it ripped up umbrellas that had been planted in the sand and sent them flying above the beachfront.
Tourists and locals clutched their personal belongings to their chest as they dashed across the beach to seek safety but the tornado continued to rip through the crowded area.
Parasols and sand were seen swirling up into the air over the heads of the beachgoers who attempted to hurriedly flee the scene.
But a handful of brave holidaymakers stayed seated on their deckchairs and watched on as huge gusts of wind blew away their towels.
According to local reports, one woman suffered minor injuries that required medical attention following the tornado incident.
In a separate clip, filmed at around 1pm on Sunday, giant waterspouts were seen being formed off Italy’s Delta del Po, on the country’s east coast.
A local tour boat operator paused an excursion so he could film the spectacle.
Shared on the Emilia-Romagna Meteo Facebook page, the video showed the ‘dance’ of the two waterspouts.
The two pillars of water and air lasted for several dozen minutes and merged during a violent storm. Local media reported they formed, folded, and dissolved several times during the spell.
Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes that occur over water. Around 500 occur in Europe every year, according to data from the European severe weather database.
A moderate wind warning was issued by the Italian Meteorological Service on Monday morning.
It claimed that ‘moderate intensity weather phenomena is expected in the Northern sector’.
The service has recommended those in the area to keep up to date with the latest weather forecast and expect some minor disruption to outdoor activities.
Intense rain and thunderstorms are also expected to sweep the Marche and Umbria regions until late Monday morning.
It comes as extreme weather has been wreaking havoc across Europe, pushing emergency services to their limits as wildfires, heatwaves, and storms sweep across the continent.
Blazes have erupted in Portugal, Greece, and Spain, while tornadoes have struck tourist hotspots in parts of Spain and Switzerland.
Thousands of firefighters have been battling a dozen wildfires raging in northern Portugal and central Spain, in the largest wave of blazes in the Iberian Peninsula so far this year following weeks of summer heat.
In Majorca, dramatic footage taken last weekend showed a tornado striking a beach, sending sand and towels hurtling into the sky as tourists ran for cover.
Meanwhile, in the Alps, a sudden plunge in temperature caused snowfall last week in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie.
And, in Switzerland on Tuesday, a fisherman captured a video of a spectacular waterspout spiralling high into the clouds over Lake Constance.
It comes after raging wildfires engulfed Turkey outside the country’s fourth-largest city – forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes.
Flames ripped through the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey overnight on July 26, shining a threatening red glow on the night sky.
It marks the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer – as destinations in Greece and Cyprus have also fallen victim to aggressive wildfires amid unseasonably high temperatures.
The governor’s office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people were safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames.
