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.

There has been flooding and landslides in parts of northern Italy as red alerts cover cities including Florence and Pisa. Torrential rain prompted the alert for parts of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, with heavy and persistent rainfall expected into the afternoon on Friday.

An extreme weather 'red alert' on Friday was in place in many areas of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna amid torrential rain and flooding. In Tuscany, schools were closed in several cities including Florence where they were set to remain shut on Saturday.