Violent Storm Damages Ancient Roman Arch

Lightning struck Rome's Constantine Arch near the Colosseum during a violent thunderstorm, loosening fragments from the ancient structure. The fragments from Tuesday's lightning strike were immediately gathered by workers at the Colosseum Archaeological Park, officials said. The extent of the damage was being evaluated, reports the AP. "The recovery work by technicians was timely. Our workers arrived immediately after the lightning strike. All of the fragments were recovered and secured,'' the park said in a statement.

The lightning occurred during a sudden, violent storm that dumped nearly 2.4 inches of rain on the Italian capital in less than an hour, felled trees, and flooded streets in the Italian capital. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri called the storm a "downburst," and the Guardian notes that such a storm—"with powerful downward winds"—sank billionaire Mike Lynch's superyacht off the coast of Sicily last month. "The power of the storm was sudden and was not predicted by any weather bulletin," said Sabrina Alfonsi, Rome's councillor for the environment, of Tuesday's storm. The honorary arch, nearly 70 feet in height, was erected in AD315 to celebrate the victory of Emperor Constantine over Maxentius following the battle at Milvian Bridge.

(More lightning strike stories.)