Wildfires have forced Palermo Airport in Sicily to close on Tuesday, as extreme weather conditions continue in Italy. At least two women have died in the northern regions of Monza and Brescia after trees fell on them due to strong winds.
Palermo airport was closed on Tuesday morning after wildfires in the hills around the Sicilian city reached the airport perimeter and road closures made it unreachable. The airport's operating company stated on Twitter that "the airport located in the capital of Sicily will remain closed until 9 AM GMT while firefighters work to extinguish a large fire in a nearby area that has also disrupted road and train traffic."
The incident has exacerbated travel and transportation problems on the island of Sicily at the peak of the tourist season. Catania Airport, the island's main airport and the fifth largest in Italy, was closed last week due to a fire in a passenger terminal but has since reopened for a limited number of flights.
