Five people have been killed after rivers overflowed following torrential rain in the central Italian region of Tuscany, local authorities said on Friday, as Storm Ciaran continued to lash western Europe.
There had been fears that the River Arno could burst its banks in the historic city of Florence but Tuscan Governor Eugenio Giani said the high water point had passed around 10:20 a.m. (0920 GMT) without major incident.
However, Giani said the death toll had risen to five after rain swept away cars and forced people to evacuate the lower floors of buildings.
A bridge collapsed near the city of Pistoia, killing two people. Another person died in the town of Rosignano.
The other two victims were elderly people living in the small town of Montemurlo, according to Italian media.
Neighboring Spain is also facing adverse conditions, with Spanish authorities having evacuated at least 800 people around the coastal town of Gandia in the eastern region of Valencia, after a wildfire broke out there and spread quickly overnight amid strong winds, officials said on Friday.
The region, and a large swathe of the eastern portion of the Iberian Peninsula, was on high alert for strong winds for the second day in a row as Storm Ciaran smashed into western Europe.
Spain has suffered a prolonged drought in the past few years that recent rains have only slightly alleviated. The drought and above-normal temperatures throughout the summer and part of the autumn have contributed to the spread of wildfires.
The fire began on Thursday near the village of Montichelvo, emergency services said. Around 2,500 residents in the villages of Potries and Ador were told to stay at home as the winds fanned smoke towards their homes.
(Reuters)