Storms and severe rainfall have flooded many parts of Northern Italy, including the cities of Padua and Vicenza.
Emergency personnel have been using dinghies to rescue individuals from their homes.
The governor of the Veneto region described the overnight weather as a “water bomb.”
Meanwhile, the south of Italy is experiencing an unseasonal heat wave, with temperatures in Sicily hitting 35 degrees Celsius.
Professor Marco Marani, an expert on the impact of climate change at the University of Padua, said events are becoming more frequent and will increase with the increase of global warming.
In Borgo Mantovano, Lombardy, a freight train was overturned by gusts of between 150 and 200km/h (93-120 mph.)
Local mayor Alberto Borsari wrote on social media that “many streets and basements were flooded,” and the situation was “really tough.”
“Luckily, no one was hurt,” he added.
Milan experienced up to 130mm (5in) of localised rain in a single day, resulting in flash floods. Local observers said that such rain intensity had not been recorded in May for more than 170 years.
In Veneto, a state of red alert has been declared until 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT) by the Civil Protection authorities, especially between Vicenza and Verona where the water basins are overflowing after 70mm of rain in 30 minutes.
Sardinia’s south is facing extremely dry weather, and local wheat farmers are expecting half the average yield due to a shortage of water, according to local newspaper L’Unione Sarda.
Water restrictions are also expected in the area later this summer.
In April, the EU climate agency Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization released a new State of the Climate report emphasizing the importance of flood defenses and climate action.
Climate scientists projected that in 2023, one-third of rivers across Europe broke the “high” flood barrier, while 16% washed over the “severe” line.
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