The entirety of Liguria will be on a maximum level weather alert for Friday, December 20

I can’t recall the last time that the entire region of Liguria was on a maximum level storm warning (code red). But tomorrow we are.

The Cinque Terre will be on maximum alert from 12 noon to 12 midnight on Friday, December 20, 2019. Meteorologists are expecting heavy to torrential rains, gusty winds and rough seas.

Luckily, this time of year visitors are sparse but if you are currently staying here you will want to stock up on food beforehand and stay indoors during the alert.

Stay safe,

Amy

Level orange storm warning for the Cinque Terre today

  • Today, November 27th, the Cinque Terre and surrounding areas are on a level orange weather alert from 8am to 6pm.
  • The Cinque Terre villages are located in zone C

  • Forecasters are predicting heavy rains, gusty winds and thunderstorms. What’s of most concern to both meteorologists and geologists is the level of ground saturation after weeks of constant rain.
  • Are you wondering why weather alerts and storm warnings are seemingly so frequent in our area? Check out this post.

    Alerts are classified as either yellow, orange or red depending on the level of risk associated (yellow being the lowest on the scale and red the highest). As this is an orange alert, extra safety precautions within the Cinque Terre automatically go into effect. In the Comune di Riomaggiore (which encompasses the villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Volastra and Groppo) businesses located within potential flood zones are required to close, vehicles must be moved to areas not prone to flooding and organized tour groups are not permitted to visit the villages (amongst a plethora of other ordinances, but these are the main ones that affect those visiting our area). During the weather alert all hiking trails in the Cinque Terre National Park are officially closed. 

    If you are staying in the Cinque Terre we recommend buying food and snacks to tide you over as many businesses (bars, restaurants, shops, offices, etc.) are required to close. Only a select few businesses (with secondary emergency exits or outside of the flood zones) are allowed to remain open. Add to that the fact that we are in the off-season with many businesses already closed doesn’t leave much room for choice.

    Here are the businesses that are permitted to stay open during a level orange weather alert for the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola (but keep in mind that just because they can open doesn’t mean that they will open). Keep in mind that we’ve also officially entered the off-season where many businesses are closed regardless of the weather.

    Riomaggiore:

    Farmacia (pharmacy)

    Coop 5Terre (grocery market, the one located higher up on via Colombo)

    La Zorza (bar/café)

    Dau Cila (restaurant)

    Manarola:

    Trattoria dal Billy (restaurant)

    If you are staying in Corniglia, Vernazza or Monterosso speak with your host to see how you will be potentially affected by the weather alert.

    At 6pm the weather alert is expected to downgrade to yellow, meaning that businesses are able to reopen. 

    What do I recommend? Use this time to catch up on sleep or some much-needed R&R. Delve into a new book or catch up on emails. If you decide to venture out, be prudent and prepared for heavy rains (and be ready to turn back should conditions worsen). Steer clear of low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. Don’t be alarmed, just be cautious.

    P.S. You can monitor the status of the alerts on the ARPAL website (they are the government agency that issues the alerts).

    Another weather alert for Liguria and Cinque Terre

    Starting at midnight tonight through 6pm tomorrow (October 24) a level orange weather alert has been issued for the entire region of Liguria (which includes the Cinque Terre).

    The Cinque Terre villages are located where you see the letter C

    Meteorologists have forecasted a fast-moving storm that is expected to traverse the entire region from west to east with heavy rains, potentially gusty winds and thunderstorms.

    Are you wondering why weather alerts and storm warnings are seemingly so frequent in our area? Check out this post.

    Alerts are classified as either yellow, orange or red depending on the level of risk associated (yellow being the lowest on the scale and red the highest). As this is an orange alert, extra safety precautions within the Cinque Terre automatically go into effect. In the Comune di Riomaggiore (which encompasses the villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Volastra and Groppo) businesses located within potential flood zones are required to close, vehicles must be moved to areas not prone to flooding and organized tour groups are not permitted to visit the villages (amongst a plethora of other ordinances, but these are the main ones that affect those visiting our area). During the weather alert all hiking trails in the Cinque Terre National Park are officially closed.

    If you are staying in the Cinque Terre we recommend buying food and snacks to tide you over as many businesses (bars, restaurants, shops, offices, etc.) are required to close. Only a select few businesses (with secondary emergency exits or outside of the flood zones) are allowed to remain open.

    Here are the businesses that are permitted to stay open during a level orange weather alert for the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola (but keep in mind that just because they can open doesn’t mean that they will open). Also, chances are that the few places open will be very busy and with potentially long lines.

    Riomaggiore:

    Fuori Rotta (bar/café)

    Farmacia (pharmacy)

    Coop 5Terre (grocery market, the one located higher up on via Colombo)

    La Zorza (bar/café)

    Dau Cila (restaurant)

    A Pié de Mà (wine bar)*

    Focacceria da Paolino (focaccia and snack bar, located in the marina)

    Non Solo Pizza (street food)

    Manarola:

    Aristide (bar/café/restaurant)

    Trattoria dal Billy (restaurant)

    La Scogliera (restaurant)

    Nessun Dorma (bar/café)*

    *I think it’s extremely unlikely these businesses will be open during a weather alert as their seating is outdoors

    If you are staying in Corniglia, Vernazza or Monterosso speak with your host to see how you will be potentially affected by the weather alert.

    At 6pm the weather alert is expected to downgrade to yellow, meaning that businesses are able to reopen.

    What do I recommend? Use this time to catch up on sleep or some much-needed R&R. Delve into a new book or catch up on emails. If you decide to venture out, be prudent and prepared for heavy rains (and be ready to turn back should conditions worsen). Steer clear of low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. Don’t be alarmed, just be cautious.

    Level orange weather alert in the Cinque Terre

    Starting at 6pm a level orange weather alert has been issued for the entirety of Liguria, the region in which the Cinque Terre villages are located.

    The Cinque Terre are located where you see letter C

    Meteorologists have forecasted thunderstorms and heavy rains. The alert lifts tomorrow, July 28, at 2pm.

    As this is a relatively serious alert, extra safety precautions within the Cinque Terre automatically go into effect: businesses located within potential flood zones are required to close, automobiles must be moved to areas not prone to flooding, the hiking trails are closed and organized tour groups are not permitted to visit the villages (amongst a plethora of other ordinances, but these are the main ones that affect those visiting our area).

    If you are staying in the Cinque Terre we recommend buying food and snacks to tide you over as the majority of businesses (bars, restaurants, shops, offices, etc.) are required to close. Only a select few businesses (with secondary emergency exits or outside of the flood zones) are allowed to remain open. If you are out and about during the weather alert, please be prudent.

    Cinque Terre on high alert

    Starting at 3am this morning (Friday, October 14, 2016) and ending tonight at midnight, the Cinque Terre and surrounding areas are on a maximum alert storm warning (color coding for the warning is red, the highest level of alert).  On the map below, the Cinque Terre falls within section C.

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    Meteorologists are predicting exceedingly heavy rains and given the devastating floods that affected Vernazza & Monterosso nearly five years ago (on October 25, 2011), local officials are not taking the warning lightly:  schools have been cancelled, tour groups are not being permitted within the Cinque Terre, and local businesses within the potential flood zones have been asked to close (at their discretion).  The Cinque Terre National Park has announced that they will not only officially close the trails within the park (a normal procedure when there’s a level orange or red storm warning ) but they are also closing the park offices.

    Those visitors that are already within the Cinque Terre today are asked to stay indoors in the case of heavy rains and to exercise prudence.

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