Heavy rain briefly closes A2 near Lugano

Heavy rain temporarily closed the southbound A2 motorway near Lugano and caused flooding and debris on roads elsewhere in southern Switzerland, SRF reported.

The southbound lane at the Lugano Nord exit was closed shortly after 10:15 a.m. at the request of the Ticino cantonal police, allowing the water to drain. The section reopened a short time later, but traffic was expected to move slowly.

Parts of Ticino remained under level three thunderstorm warnings until Thursday evening. The warning means lightning, falling branches and uprooted trees are possible.

In Sorte, part of Lostallo in the canton of Graubünden, a watercourse overflowed its banks, according to initial information from the Graubünden cantonal police. Rock and debris blocked the cantonal road, while the A13 motorway remained open.

Lostallo’s municipal administration evacuated Sorte’s residents as a precaution. The road into the Calanca valley was also closed for safety reasons, the cantonal authorities said.