Central Italy has been battered by heavy winds and rain, which have caused flooding in large areas of Tuscany. Five people have died and several others are missing as a result of the flooding.

People climbed on roofs to escape the flooding as cars were swept away by the River Bisenzio.

The west coast was lashed by high waves, four hospitals were flooded, and cars were trapped in underpasses.

In Western Europe, more than 12 people have died as a result of Storm Ciarán.

A storm with winds of 207km/h (129mph) hit the north-west coast of France earlier today. The storm also lashed southern England, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as the Atlantic coasts of Spain and Portugal.

Two people were killed in Belgium by falling trees, one of whom was a five-year-old child.

The power lines went down and transport was severely disrupted. On the Channel Island of Jersey, residents had to evacuate.

Tuscany was hit by the storm on Thursday night, and regional governor Eugenio Giani declared a state of emergency.

Prato and Montemurlo near Florence, along with Livorno on the coast, were among the worst affected towns.

Two sections of the Bisenzio river burst their banks in Montemurlo after 200mm (7.8in) of rain fell since Thursday afternoon.

It was discovered that an 85-year-old man was dead in his flooded home on the ground floor.

In Campi Bisenzio, near the river, people climbed on to their roofs to get to safety, while a shopping center was flooded with staff and customers seeking refuge.

Couples whose cars were found overturned in Vinci, west of Florence, were among those missing. Florence had been worried about flooding from the River Arno, but the situation seemed to have subsided by mid-morning.