Orange level wind alert prompts closure of parks and cemeteries.
Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri has ordered the closure of all city parks, historic villas and cemeteries on Thursday 19 February due to high winds in the capital.
The closure comes amid a medium-risk orange level weather warning for strong southerly winds which are expected from Thursday morning and for the following 18 hours.
Forecasts predict dangerous wind conditions and potential gale-force gusts in coastal areas near the capital, together with scattered rain showers or thunderstorms in the Rome area.
Safety restrictions
The mayor’s emergency order introduces a range of prohibitions designed to protect public safety on Thursday:
Access, transit and circulation are forbidden in all city parks, gardens and historic villas.
All municipal cemeteries are closed to the public, with exceptions made only for essential mortuary police activities and pre-scheduled funeral services.
Outdoor recreational and non-competitive sporting activities in public areas exposed to the wind are prohibited.
Entry to river parks and areas adjacent to waterways is banned due to the combined risk of wind and potential hydrogeological issues.
Advice to the public
In addition to the forced closures, the city has issued a number of recommendations to the public.
Residents are advised to avoid, if possible, parking outdoors in areas exposed to the wind, be careful of mobile structures, avoid crossing green spaces and tree-lined roads, be careful of coastal areas and shorelines (avoiding parking on piers and docks), and avoid driving high-sided tarpaulin vehicles and caravans which are vulnerable to crosswinds.
