Tuscany floods and storms ravage central Italy,six people died
Cars were swept away as the River Bisenzio flooded and people climbed on roofs to escape the deluge.
Hospitals were flooded, people in cars were trapped in underpasses and the west coast was lashed by high waves.
The extreme conditions are directly linked to Storm Ciarán which has caused more than 13 deaths in Western Europe.
Winds of 207km/h (129 mph) were recorded earlier on the north-west coast of France, as the storm also lashed southern England, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal.
Power lines went down and transport was severely disrupted. A five-year-old child was one of two people killed in Belgium by falling trees. Residents had to be evacuated from their homes on the Channel Island of Jersey.
A cold front of severe weather reached Tuscany on Thursday night, as winds reached 140km/h.
Regional governor Eugenio Giani described the heavy rain as "unprecedented in the past 100 years and, after a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency for the worst-hit areas of Tuscany.
Livorno and Marina di Pisa on the coast and towns around Florence were among the worst affected areas, with the streets of Prato looking more like canals and nearby Seano resembling an island.
In Montemurlo, officials said on Friday that 200mm (7.8in) of rain had fallen since Thursday afternoon and the Bisenzio river burst its banks in two places.
An 85-year-old man was found dead on the ground floor of his flooded home. Rescuers believe he had been unable to climb the stairs to safety.
The governor of Tuscany shared a video showing cars being swept away by floodwater and appealed for people to go to upper floors.
Close to the river, in Campi Bisenzio, people climbed on to their roofs to get to safety and about 100 staff and customers sought refuge in a shopping centre.
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