The tornadoes struck Marsala, a town on Sicily's west coast, on Friday morning. Videos circulating on social media showed two waterspouts approaching from the sea before they hit land.
Dozens of people were reported injured, and at least 11 were taken to hospital after being struck by flying debris and shattered glass. A 70-year-old man is in a critical condition at Mazara del Vallo hospital with several fractures.
A school was also hit by the powerful winds. At the time the tornado struck, 273 pupils were inside, all of whom were safely evacuated. Six children suffered minor cuts and abrasions. Drone footage from the aftermath showed extensive damage to the school, with windows shattered and desks and chairs overturned.
The weather system developed amid intense heat over north Africa and unusually warm Mediterranean waters. Scientists have warned that rising sea temperatures, driven by the climate emergency, can provide additional energy for powerful storms in the region. In recent years, southern Italy has braced for the arrival of 'medicanes' -- rare Mediterranean storms with hurricane-like characteristics that can produce winds exceeding 60 miles per hour and waves reaching five metres in height.
Experts have linked record temperatures in the Mediterranean to an increase in the intensity of such storms, including the freak storm that sank the Bayesian superyacht off the coast of Sicily in 2024, killing seven people.