Heavy rains cause flooding in various parts of Tuscany

Severe weather has battered Tuscany, bringing heavy rain that has caused flooding and rising river levels across the region.

The worst-hit areas early this morning were between Pisa and Livorno, where traffic was heavily disrupted.

Civil Protection units have been deployed for large-scale emergency operations in several towns.

Forecasters say the bad weather will persist through the weekend due to a new Atlantic low-pressure system.

The images here show the situation in the Pistoia area.