Storms and heavy rainfall have left many parts of northern Italy under water, with the cities of Padua and Vicenza particularly affected.
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.
“Extreme events will become more frequent and will increase even more as the world warms,” Marco Marani, a professor at the University of Padua who specializes in the effects of climate change, said in an interview with Corriere del Veneto newspaper. Ta. On Friday morning, heavy rains caused the banks of the Musón dei Sassi river in the Padua region to recede, causing severe flooding.
A freight train capsized in Borgo Mantovano, Lombardy due to wind gusts of 150-200 km/h (93-120 mph).
Local mayor Alberto Borsari wrote on social media that the situation was “really dire” with “many streets and basements flooded”.
“Fortunately there were no injuries,” he added.
Locally in Milan, up to 130 mm (5 inches) of rain fell in one day, causing flash flooding. Local observers say such heavy rainfall in May has not been recorded for more than 170 years.
In Veneto, civil protection authorities have issued a red alert until 2pm local time (2pm Japan time), especially between Vicenza and Verona, where 70mm of rain fell in 30 minutes, flooding watersheds. .
A small bridge collapsed in the Como area and a person is missing.
Southern Sardinia is experiencing extremely dry conditions, and local wheat farmers are already facing another difficult season, with half of their usual harvest due to water shortages, according to local newspaper Lunione Sarda. It is said that they are doing so.
Water supply restrictions are expected in this region later this summer.
Professor Malani said there was “strong scientific evidence” that extreme weather was becoming more frequent, adding that there was a need to “revise flood defence calculations to understand the real risks we face”.
“We have to address climate change”, he added.
In April, a new climate situation report by EU climate agency Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organisation highlighted the need for flood defence measures and the urgency of tackling climate change.
Climate researchers estimate that by 2023, a third of rivers across Europe will exceed the “high” flood threshold, and 16% will exceed the “severe” threshold.