Flooding: Storm Boris Batters Italy

Storm Boris is battering the northeast and central regions of Italy, days after causing widespread flooding in central Europe.

More than 1,000 residents in the north-eastern region of Emilia Romagna have been evacuated, while towns in the central region of Marche of Italy reported serious flooding and disruption. There are no reports of any casualties.

On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced €10bn (£8.4bn) of EU funding for affected countries.

Von der Leyen made the announcement after meeting the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria to discuss aid for the flood-hit region.

The meeting was held in the Polish city of Wroclaw, in southwestern Poland, which has been threatened by high river levels for days.

Speaking at a news briefing afterwards, Von der Leyen said: “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.”

Her comments came as Italy became the latest country to suffer the fury of Storm Boris – a low pressure system that swept across Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Austria, killing at least 23 people.

Schools across Emilia Romagna have closed. Some roads were impacted by landslides, and railway traffic has been severely disrupted.

Authorities warned residents to stay out of their basements and to relocate to the upper floors of their homes.

Schools, libraries, and parks were shut in Ravenna, and the University of Bologna cancelled exams and lessons.

The city of Faenza has been the worst-affected, with the levels of the two rivers crossing it rising rapidly overnight.

Residents quoted by local media said they had had to leave their homes in dinghies in the middle of the night.

High river levels have also caused the sewage system to overflow.

But authorities in nearby Bologna said on Thursday morning that river levels in the city were under control, although the weather alert is set to continue until Friday for most of the region. Red warnings for flooding and landslides have been issued for eastern Emilia Romagna.

BBC/Shakirat Sadiq