Italy next to face storm after 21 killed in Europe floods

Intense storms battering central Europe are now reaching Italy, where warnings for heavy rain, strong winds and floods have been issued for much of the country.

Floods are already reported in the central city of Pescara, while the Italian meteorological service’s weather alerts apply from the northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the far-south.

The warnings come as flooding has devastated parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria this week, leaving at least 21 people dead.

Authorities in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia are also warning of flooding in the coming days.

The significant flooding has been caused by Storm Boris, which brought vast amounts of rain and snow at the weekend.

More than 5,000 soldiers have been deployed to help people in southern Poland, including the 40,000 residents evacuated from the town of Nysa.

The flood waters are receding in some places in the region and spreading in others, with the extent of the damage revealed in Polish towns like Glucholazy.

The town’s main bridge collapsed after being damaged by the swollen river, while many of its streets have been covered in mud.

Polish police on Tuesday confirmed at least six people have died, cautioning against “false information” following media reports that put the total number of people killed at more than a dozen.

The country’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has declared a month-long state of natural disaster – with the worst flooding expected to hit the city of Wroclaw on Wednesday.

Areas along the Czech-Polish border are among the worst-hit, where 15,000 people have been evacuated in Czech Republic as well.

The country has experienced the worst flooding in over 27 years, according to local NGO Člověk v tísn.

Ostrava has been one of the most-affected towns, after the river Oder burst its banks following heavy downpours on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, water levels are continuing to rise fast on the River Danube in Slovakia and Hungary, with the Slovak capital Bratislava and its Hungarian counterpart Budapest preparing for possible flooding.

Emergency services and volunteers, in some places backed up by the army, are also working round the clock to protect low-lying settlements in the region.