This caused problems for holidaymakers and some damage. The weather conditions suddenly worsened in the late afternoon when a heavy thunderstorm hit the Friulian seaside resort. Many bathers had to flee the beach, media reported.
The rescue services immediately asked the bathers to leave the beach and raised red warning flags. The fire brigade and the local civil defence had to deal with flooding in several cellars and some fallen trees. Several cars were damaged.
Meanwhile, a search is underway for a 63-year-old man from Udine who has been missing in Lignano since Monday afternoon. The man was on a boat with his wife when he jumped into the water to swim. He did not resurface. Fire service planes and helicopters, which took off from Venice, are involved in the search, media reported.