A mistral storm is about to hit Sardinia. While heavy rain is forecast for today, especially in the north-western areas, and a sharp drop in temperatures, the Civil Protection warns that from the evening onwards it is expected that "a minimum pressure on the ground leeward of the Alpine arc will deepen, causing an increase in the pressure gradient over the central-western Mediterranean and consequent intensification of ventilation from the north-west over Sardinia".
Consequently, from tomorrow Sardinia will be affected «widely by strong winds (over 10.8 metres per second), with reinforcements up to gale force (17.2 metres per second) in the north-eastern sector, on the exposed coasts and on the reliefs of the rest of the island.
Gusts up to storm force (over 20.8 m/s, therefore above 70 kilometres per hour) will also be possible on the reliefs, mainly the eastern ones.
«Storm surges are also expected on exposed coasts, with significant average wave heights of up to 5 metres and peak periods of up to 10 metres on the north-western coasts».
The phenomena will ease from late evening.
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)