Florence is on alert as the waters of the river Arno have risen to the highest levels in 20 years, reaching 4.8 m on Sunday 17 November. However, the river’s waters in Florence are not expected to exceed the critical 5.5-m level.There is severe flooding across Tuscany, with more than 62 mm of rain falling in Florence over the last 24 hours, and gusts of wind last night reaching up to 76 km p/h.

The city’s civil protection agency has advised all residents and tourists to stay away from riverbanks in Florence due to the risk of subsidence, as well as taking particular care if driving through underpasses.Meanwhile Venice is braced for another “tough day” on 17 November, according to mayor Luigi Brugnaro, although the situation is expected to be less dramatic than earlier in the week when the lagoon city was overwhelmed by the highest tide in more than half a century.