A rare three-day stretch of red-alert weather has paralysed parts of Sardinia, creating the island’s most serious mobility crunch since 2013. From the night of 18 January powerful scirocco winds—clocked at more than 100 km/h—generated six-metre waves that swallowed the Poetto beachfront and forced police to close the lungomare to all traffic. At Marina Piccola a section of the main pier collapsed, prompting the coast-guard to issue navigation bans for pleasure craft and to warn ferry operators that port approaches could become unsafe with little notice.
Surface links have fared no better. The statale 195 “Sulcitana”, the primary artery connecting Cagliari to the southern hinterland and its industrial zones, was closed after the Scafa bridge flooded, severing road freight into the port. Local authorities have also blocked the Via Amba Alagi underpass in Olbia and imposed speed limits on the SS 131 trunk road as a precaution against cross-winds. Rail services remain technically operational, but Trenitalia has warned of cascading delays as crews contend with signalling faults caused by salt spray.
If your organisation suddenly needs to reroute employees or contractors through alternative gateways, VisaHQ can lighten the administrative lift. The service’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) consolidates visa, passport-renewal and stay-extension requirements in one place and can accelerate processing when last-minute itinerary changes strike—freeing mobility managers to focus on safety and logistics rather than paperwork.
![Red-alert storms shut roads, ports and schools across Cagliari, crippling mobility on Sardinia’s south-east coast]()
For the business community the bigger blow is the shutdown of public services. Cagliari’s mayor Massimo Zedda ordered the closure of all schools, universities, markets and municipal offices on 20 and 21 January to free emergency crews to clear debris and inspect damaged buildings. Employers have been urged to switch to remote work where possible, and the regional civil-protection agency has asked residents to avoid non-essential travel until at least Wednesday morning.
Practical implications for mobility managers are significant. Cargo moving through the Port of Cagliari is being diverted north to Porto Torres or mainland gateways such as Livorno, adding up to 36 hours to supply-chain schedules. Airlines have so far kept Cagliari-Elmas Airport open, but strong gusts have already forced the diversion of two flights to Palermo and Rome, and carriers warn further disruptions are likely. Travellers bound for offshore energy projects in the Sulcis area face particular difficulties as helicopter transfers have been suspended.
With climate-driven weather volatility on the rise, the episode is another reminder for firms running expatriate or commuter assignments in Italy’s island regions to maintain robust contingency plans, including alternative routing agreements with ferry and air operators and pre-agreed remote-work protocols.
Surface links have fared no better. The statale 195 “Sulcitana”, the primary artery connecting Cagliari to the southern hinterland and its industrial zones, was closed after the Scafa bridge flooded, severing road freight into the port. Local authorities have also blocked the Via Amba Alagi underpass in Olbia and imposed speed limits on the SS 131 trunk road as a precaution against cross-winds. Rail services remain technically operational, but Trenitalia has warned of cascading delays as crews contend with signalling faults caused by salt spray.
If your organisation suddenly needs to reroute employees or contractors through alternative gateways, VisaHQ can lighten the administrative lift. The service’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) consolidates visa, passport-renewal and stay-extension requirements in one place and can accelerate processing when last-minute itinerary changes strike—freeing mobility managers to focus on safety and logistics rather than paperwork.
For the business community the bigger blow is the shutdown of public services. Cagliari’s mayor Massimo Zedda ordered the closure of all schools, universities, markets and municipal offices on 20 and 21 January to free emergency crews to clear debris and inspect damaged buildings. Employers have been urged to switch to remote work where possible, and the regional civil-protection agency has asked residents to avoid non-essential travel until at least Wednesday morning.
Practical implications for mobility managers are significant. Cargo moving through the Port of Cagliari is being diverted north to Porto Torres or mainland gateways such as Livorno, adding up to 36 hours to supply-chain schedules. Airlines have so far kept Cagliari-Elmas Airport open, but strong gusts have already forced the diversion of two flights to Palermo and Rome, and carriers warn further disruptions are likely. Travellers bound for offshore energy projects in the Sulcis area face particular difficulties as helicopter transfers have been suspended.
With climate-driven weather volatility on the rise, the episode is another reminder for firms running expatriate or commuter assignments in Italy’s island regions to maintain robust contingency plans, including alternative routing agreements with ferry and air operators and pre-agreed remote-work protocols.
