Global warming may be factor in deadly Italian shipwreck, climatologist says

Emergency and rescue services work near the scene where a sailboat sank in the early hours of Monday, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 19, 2024. REUTERS/Igor Petyx

ROME (Reuters) - Global warming may have contributed to the freak storm that sank a luxury British-flagged yacht off the coast of Sicily on Monday, Italian climatologist Luca Mercalli told Reuters.

One man died and six people were missing, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after the "Bayesian", a 56-metre-long (184-ft) sailboat, was suddenly hit by ferocious weather.