At least 16 die as Storm Ciaran batters Western Europe
International Desk
At least 16 people died in Storm Ciaran across Western Europe on Friday, as heavy downpours and record winds brought travel chaos.
Among the deaths, six died in the central Tuscany region, Italian authorities announced on Friday, declaring a state of emergency as weather specialists reported record rainfall, reports AFP.
Three people were killed off the coast of Portugal on Friday when a yacht ran aground north of Lisbon in strong swells.
In Italy, the rescue services were called out to dozens of incidents across Tuscany to help motorists stranded in flooded tunnels or hemmed in by trees brought down by the winds.
Tuscany governor Eugenio Giani said the dead in the Italy storms included an 85-year-old man found drowned on the ground floor of his house in Montemurlo, northwest of Florence.
"What happened tonight in Tuscany has a name: climate change," Giani wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Residents were busy mucking out homes, garages and cellars swamped by the floodwaters, throwing damaged furniture and appliances onto the street, said an AFP photographer on the scene.
Florence mayor Dario Nardella described the situation as "critical" in the city, as the level of the Arno River continued to rise.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced an initial state aid package of five million euros (around $5.4 million) for the region as she confirmed a state of emergency to fast-track funding and resources.
