Italian authorities ordered dozens of people in Tuscany to leave their homes on Friday after heavy rains swelled rivers and flooded streets near the historic cities of Florence and Pisa. Regional chief Eugenio Giani said a red weather alert demanded that people should exercise "maximum care and attention" amid "intense and persistent rain.

Red alerts for flooding and landslides were issued for parts of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna There has been flooding and landslides in parts of northern Italy as red alerts cover cities including Florence and Pisa.

Florence was out of danger due to the "decisive" role of a key floodgate that prevented the Arno river from bursting its banks after heavy rains, Italian authorities said Saturday. A floodgate located between the two cities,