Large areas of Tuscany have been hit by flooding, leaving six people dead and several others missing, after heavy winds and rain buffeted central Italy.

Regional governor Eugenio Giani described the heavy rain as "unprecedented in the past 100 years and, after a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency for the worst-hit areas of Tuscany.

Livorno and Marina di Pisa on the coast and towns around Florence were among the worst affected areas, with the streets of Prato looking more like canals and nearby Seano resembling an island.

Close to the river, in Campi Bisenzio, people climbed on to their roofs to get to safety and about 100 staff and customers sought refuge in a shopping centre.

The west coast was lashed by waves reaching 3.5m (11ft 5in), and Milan was hit by flooding for a second time this week, three days after the River Seveso burst its banks.

The storm also caused damage in the north-eastern region of Veneto, where one person was missing and Governor Luca Zaia said 160mm of rain had fallen in 24 hours.

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