Orange weather alert sees cancellation of Befana’s flight into Piazza Navona.
Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri has signed an order banning all recreational and sporting events in public areas on Tuesday 6 January due to heavy rain and bad weather.
The order, which coincides with a national public holiday in Italy for the Epiphany, will see the cancellation of the popular “flight of the Befana” event in Piazza Navona.
The decision was made in light of the ongoing bad weather which has resulted in multiple emergency interventions in recent days by firefighters and civil protection authorities.
A massive pine tree fell near the Colosseum tonight after a day of heavy rain in Rome. The incident occurred outside the tourist info point and the tree fell across Via dei Fori Imperiali. No immediate reports of people injured. Photo Il Messaggero. pic.twitter.com/k7KODRn9eG
— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) January 4, 2026
An orange weather alert is in place and the city has closed its parks and cemeteries, advising people to avoid areas under trees “and within the radius of their potential fall”.
People in Rome have also been advised to avoid underpasses, river banks and areas at risk of flooding, as well as green areas and tree-lined streets.
One major event that will go ahead as planned is the closing of the Holy Door at St Peter’s by Pope Leo, signifying the end of the Jubilee Year, at 09.30.
