The Arno river, which runs through Florence and Pisa, is prone to flooding in spring and fall. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Several campuses of the University of Florence were also shut. The city also saw the closure of museums, cinemas, and theatres as a precautionary measure. The A1 motorway was partially closed and Florence’s residents warned not to travel as fallen trees and floodwater blocked roads.

There has been flooding and landslides in parts of northern Italy as red alerts cover cities including Florence and Pisa. Torrential rain prompted the alerts for parts of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, with heavy and persistent rainfall expected into the afternoon on Friday.