International

Italy hit by severe flooding after heavy rain

Storms and heavy rainfall have left many parts of northern Italy under water, with the cities of Padua and Vicenza particularly affected, BBC reports.

Emergency services have been using dinghies to rescue people from their homes, and footage from the scene shows cars floating in the streets.

The governor of the Veneto region described the weather overnight as being like a "water bomb".

Meanwhile the south of Italy is experiencing an unseasonal heat wave, with temperatures reaching up to 35C in Sicily.

Speaking to the Corriere del Veneto newspaper, Professor Marco Marani, an expert on the impact of climate change at the University of Padua, said: "Extreme events are becoming more frequent and will increase with the increase of global warming."

In the early hours of Friday, the banks of the Muson dei Sassi river in the Padua area gave way due to the heavy rain, resulting in severe flooding.

In Borgo Mantovano, Lombardy, a freight train was overturned by gusts of between 150 and 200km/h (93-120 mph) .

Local mayor Alberto Borsari wrote on social media that "many streets and basements were flooded" and the situation was "really tough".

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