Thunderstorms packing torrential rains triggered flooding across a number of Italian cities, disrupting flights and forcing the authorities to close schools, markets and other public areas.

Torrential rain has triggered flooding and landslides in Northern Italy. Local authorities have issued a 'Red Alert' for parts of the country including Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. The city of Florence received almost a month's worth of rain on Friday morning and landslides were reported in Bologna.

Heavy rains has hit the northern Italian regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, pushing the main rivers in the regions above alert levels for floodings