Torrent rains that fell in just four hours on the island of Sicily caused floods that blocked people on the streets and swept away cars in the area of the city of Messina, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
The rain, the amount of which is equal to the monthly norm for this area, caused mudslides, and cars parked near reservoirs were swept away by the incoming waters.
The fire department reported that firefighters responded to more than 100 signals and had to use rubber boats to evacuate people stranded in their homes.
Timely warnings issued for worsening weather helped prevent any injuries in the affected areas, the civil protection reported.
The bad weather also affected Calabria, in the southern part of the Italian peninsula, where the mayor of Catanzaro, Nicola Fiorita, urged the population to stay at home.