[3] The flooding was associated with an extratropical cyclone in the western Mediterranean Basin in November 2013,[1] named Cyclone Cleopatra (also Ruven by the Free University of Berlin)[4] which developed slow-moving embedded thunderstorm complexes, as cold air flowing from the north entered the Mediterranean and interacted with warm moist air to the east.

[5] Continuous rain over two days resulted in the overflowing of the rivers in the northeastern part of Sardinia, flooding villages like Torpè and towns such as Olbia, Nuoro and Oristano.

[1] The area around the north-eastern city of Olbia has been affected the worst, where up to 3 m (120 in) of water has left cars and homes submerged.

[1] Further afield, ferry services between Naples and the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida were affected by gale-force winds and heavy seas,[7] with bad weather spreading to Calabria and Campania on the Southern Italian mainland.

[1] Enrico Letta, the Italian prime minister, declared a state of emergency on the island, describing it as a "national tragedy", promising 20 million euro for the reconstruction.