Coldiretti: in 2026 three out of four cloudbursts in the South, agriculture in crisis

Thunderstorms, hailstorms, windstorms and lightning: the abnormal weather at the beginning of 2026 mainly affected the South. Three out of four of the events that occurred in Italia affected the South and the Islands, causing serious damage even in the countryside. This was confirmed by a Coldiretti analysis based on Eswd data, while the damage count for the wave of bad weather that is causing serious problems in the fields, with thousands of hectares of crops flooded, has begun. The damage count is in progress, but the picture that emerges confirms a growing vulnerability of the agricultural sector to extreme weather events, which are increasingly frequent and intense.

Thousands of hectares of crops were flooded, with extensive damage to vegetables, cereals and fodder. The worst affected areas are Abruzzo, Molise, Apulia and Basilicata, where heavy rains and the overflowing of rivers and reservoirs have submerged entire plots of land. Vegetables, cereals and fodder are under water. In Molise, in addition to the flooding, the return of the cold weather is a cause for concern: frost and snow risk compromising flowering already in an advanced stage, with the danger of wiping out agricultural production. Bees are also at risk, due to reduced sources of nourishment, with possible repercussions on pollination. Critical situations are also reported for early grape varieties and fruit crops.

Over 80 millimetres of rain fell on average over the last 48 hours in the province of Foggia, with accumulations that in many areas exceeded 100 millimetres and peaks of over 120 millimetres between Daunia and the Tremiti Islands. Coldiretti Puglia speaks of a 'war bulletin in the countryside'. The intense rainfall has rapidly saturated the soils, the association stresses on the basis of data from the Anbi Observatory on water resources, which are already tested by unstable climatic conditions that make it impossible to absorb water and encourage widespread runoff phenomena.

The situation is even more delicate on the flooding front. The situation is particularly serious for horticultural crops, cereals and fodder, with land overrun by water and buried by debris. There are also fears for vineyards. The situation is also difficult in Abruzzo, especially in the lower Chietino area, due to flooding following the overflowing of rivers. Fields have ended up under water and the extent of the damage to crops is now being investigated.

In Calabria, violent hailstorms have hit the lemon groves of the Alto Ionio Cosentino, while in the Crotonese area, water and mud have invaded fennel crops, beans under tunnel and vegetables. In Apulia, the most critical situations were recorded in the Foggiano area, due to the overflowing of the Cervaro river, and in northern Barese, where the Ofanto river overflowed. In the Brindisi area, the flooding emergency has compromised artichoke, vineyard, broccoli and cabbage harvests, also aggravated by the poor maintenance of drainage canals. Difficulties were also experienced in Basilicata, in the Materano area, amid hail and cloudbursts that hit orchards and flooded fields.