(ANSA) - The Tiber hit a 50-year high-water mark on Sunday as torrential rain swelled the Roman river but officials said it would not break its banks.
The Arno did break its banks in Florence, flooding several parts of the city.
In Rome, civil Protection officials said the Tiber mouth near Fiumicino airport might suffer some flooding and scores of homes were ready for evacuation.
"But it's too early to tell yet, we'll have to see when the flood water passes through the centre," said Civil Protection chief Guido Bertolaso. Bertolaso warned Rome residents "not to get too close to the river" and enjoy the "spectacle" from a safe distance.
Homeless people and nomads who sleep on the riverside were moved away. Heavy flooding hit many other parts of Italy with
Tuscany, Umbria, Emilia-Romagna and Marche suffering the most damage to property and crops.
Meanwhile ice and snow blocked roads and ravaged farmland across the north.
Farm associations called for a state of emergency to be declared. Seas were very rough around Italy and a Turkish ship had
to be towed to safety in the Bay of Naples.
