Italian authorities ordered dozens of people in Tuscany to leave their homes on Friday after heavy rains swelled rivers and flooded streets near the historic cities of Florence and Pisa. Regional chief Eugenio Giani said a red weather alert demanded that people should exercise "maximum care and attention" amid "intense and persistent rain.

Unusually severe flooding continued to keep the central Italian region of Tuscany on high alert on Saturday, with the situation in Pisa particularly worrying. The water level of the Arno is critically high in Pisa,

Flooding and landslides have been reported in parts of northern Italy amid red weather alerts affecting cities including Florence and Pisa. Torrential rain prompted the alert for parts of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna,

The Arno river, which runs through Florence and Pisa, is prone to flooding in spring and fall. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Several campuses of the University of Florence were also shut. The city also saw the closure of museums, cinemas, and theatres as a precautionary measure. The A1 motorway was partially closed and Florence’s residents warned not to travel as fallen trees and floodwater blocked roads.

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

Heavy rain swelled rivers and flooded streets in an area near Florence on Friday, with authorities issuing a red weather alert for the historic Italian city and its surroundings and urging residents to stay indoors.