Floods and landslides have occurred in parts of northern Italy, with cities such as Florence and Pisa under red alert.
Heavy rain has prompted warnings in parts of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, with heavy and persistent rain expected until Friday afternoon.
The Tuscan president said local rescue and health services were on high alert and advised residents to exercise "the greatest caution and precaution."
Almost a month's worth of rain fell in Florence on Friday morning, while landslides and mudslides were reported in Bologna, with some residents evacuated ahead of heavy rain on Thursday evening.
No casualties have been reported so far and the city said the worst of the flooding was over by mid-morning on Friday.
A family of four was rescued from a landslide in the Tuscan town of Badia Prataglia on Thursday evening, according to local media.
The national fire brigade said it received dozens of calls after the Rimaggio overflowed and flowed through the Sesto Fiorentino area on the northern outskirts of Florence.
In Pisa, flood defences were being built along the Arno river as local authorities warned that the river had exceeded its initial flood risk level.
Roads were also affected by flooding and fallen trees, and residents in Florence were advised to avoid all travel after the A1 motorway was partially closed.
Local media reported that schools in more than 60 municipalities in Tuscany and several campuses of the University of Florence were closed.
Florence has seen 61 millimetres of rain in the past three days, more than double the average March rainfall.
Friday morning saw more than 53mm of rain in just six hours, with a further 36mm falling overnight.
