Italy's Florence and Pisa on alert as heavy rains bring floods to Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions

ROME — Heavy rains hit the Italian regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna on Friday, pushing the main rivers in the regions above alert levels for flooding.

In the central Tuscany region, schools remained closed in several cities, including Florence, where the local administration closed museums, cinemas and theatres.

Local authorities and civil protection heightened the alert level for the main river Arno, which crosses the cities of Florence and Pisa, and was expected to reach its peak later on Friday afternoon.

Regional governor Eugenio Giani wrote on social media that the most critical situation was in the town of Sesto Fiorentino, a few kilometres from Florence, where the Rimaggio stream broke its banks and flooded the central streets.

Heavy rain also battered the northern Emilia-Romagna region, including the areas of Forlì, Ravenna, Bologna and Ferrara, where local rivers were above alert levels in the Apennine areas.

Local authorities in Bologna ordered the evacuation on Thursday of ground floors due to torrential rain and flooding risks.

Emilia-Romagna was hit twice by extreme weather events in the past two years, with flooding killing dozens of people and severely hitting agricultural businesses.