Italy: Several dead after extreme weather

At least eight people have died in Italy after strong winds and heavy rain hit much of the country and caused severe flooding in Venice.

Five people were confirmed dead on Monday, and a further three were killed in the north of the country, including a woman killed when her home was engulfed by a mudslide and rocks.

In Terracina 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Rome, two people died after a tornado swept through the town and caused a tree to fall on their car, according to state broadcaster RAI.

Falling trees killed three people near Rome and another died in Naples after strong winds hit the area. In Savona, an elderly woman died after a tornado lashed the northwestern province.

Venice under water

In Venice, flooding caused the water level to hit 156 centimeters (61 inches), a 10-year high, and an evacuation of the city's famous St. Mark's Square.

The water level has only reached above 150 centimeters five times since records began, most famously in 1966, when it hit 194 centimeters and devastated the historic city center.

The extreme weather, which began on Sunday, has caused widespread disruption throughout the country.

Authorities temporarily suspended rail and car traffic near the Brenner Pass, the Alpine route linking Italy to Austria, after a landslide made some parts of the motorway impassable.

Some 160,000 households were left without electricity in Belluno and Treviso provinces, according to the regional newspaper Il Gazzettino.

amp/aw (dpa, AFP)

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