A powerful cyclone that hit the Italian island of Sardinia yesterday has left at least 16 people dead and a trail of destruction in its wake.
More than 1,650 people have been evacuated from their homes due to severe flooding, the worst of which is in the north east, in the Olbia, Oristano and Nuoro regions.
Prime minister Enrico Letta declared a state of emergency and called Cyclone Cleopatra a "national tragedy".
A number of people are still missing after rivers burst their banks, cars were swept away and bridges collapsed when more than 17 inches of rain fell in 90 minutes overnight into Tuesday morning, leaving some areas more than 10-feet deep in water.
The UK Foreign Office said many roads in the north are blocked and there are long delays due to flooding and subsidence on the main route linking the north and south of the island, the SS131.
The airports at Oblia and Cagliari are open, but the authorities warned there may be some flight cancellations and delays.
The Italian Civil Protection Agency, which is monitoring the situation, said rail services on the routes from Olbia – Chilivani and Macon – San Gavino were disrupted.
The BBC Weather Centre said the unstable conditions were expected to sweep across Italy and further east, bringing further downpours and the threat of flooding, particularly in Venice, where last year 70% of the city was flooded.
