Heavy rainfall has caused widespread flooding and landslides across northern Italy, with red weather warnings in cities including Florence and Pisa.
The downpour has prompted evacuations in Bologna in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, while authorities warn that conditions could worsen as rain continues into Friday.
In Sesto Fiorentino, just outside Florence, dramatic footage showed floodwaters engulfing cars after the Rimaggio River burst its banks.
Tuscany’s regional president, Eugenio Giani, confirmed that emergency services were on high alert and advised the public to exercise “the utmost attention and caution”.
People walk with an umbrella near the Arno River during heavy rainfall in Florence (Photo: Carlo Bressan/Anadolu via Getty Images)Landslides and mudslides were also reported in Bologna, where some residents were evacuated on Thursday evening as a precaution ahead of further rainfall.
The flooding has already caused significant disruption. In Pisa, images showed the army draped in military kakis erecting flood defences along the Arno River as water levels exceeded the first flood-risk threshold.
In Florence, residents were urged to limit travel after the A1 motorway was partially closed due to flooding. More than 60 municipalities in Italy’s Tuscany region, along with several University of Florence campuses, have closed schools as a precaution.
A view of the Arno River during heavy rainfall (Photo: Carlo Bressan/Anadolu via Getty Images)Meanwhile, firefighters have received dozens of emergency calls after the Rimaggio River overflowed. A family of four was also rescued from a landslide in Badia Prataglia, Tuscany.
It comes as northern Italy has experienced repeated extreme weather events in recent years.
Floods in 2023 in Emilia-Romagna resulted in 13 deaths after six months’ worth of rain fell in just 36 hours.
In September 2024, over 1,000 people were evacuated from the region due to the impact of Storm Boris.
Experts have linked the increasing severity of these floods to climate change, with scientists from the World Weather Attribution group reporting that last year’s extreme rainfall in Emilia-Romagna was compounded by global warming.
This story is being updated.
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