Foreign Office changes Italy travel advice and warns 'it's severe'

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) alerted UK holidaymakers to severe weather and flooding across Italy.

UK tourists in Italy have been issued a fresh travel warning after "severe" floods hit the European Union holiday hotspot. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) alerted UK holidaymakers to severe weather and flooding across Italy.

The FCDO warned: "Severe weather and flooding is affecting many areas of Italy, particularly Emilia Romagna and Liguria. Rail services and roads may be affected." It added: "The website of Ferrovie dello Stato has more information (in Italian only).

"Check with your tour operator or accommodation provider before you travel and follow the instructions of local authorities. The website of the Civil Protection Department has more information." Ferrovie dello Stato warns on its website: "To find out about the real-time situation of rail traffic, consult the UPDATES from the National Operations Room .

READ MORE UK faces -5C snow within days and one part of England will be 'worst hit'

"For information on planned changes to rail traffic , necessary to carry out technical interventions and planned network improvement activities, consult the TRAVEL NOTICES." Firefighters came to the rescue across Italy's Emilia Romagna region on Sunday, after it was hit by severe flooding when bad weather caused multiple rivers to burst their banks.

Various areas in the Emilia-Romagna region have been flooded, while heavy rain also lashed the Italian island of Sicily on Saturday, causing landslides. In the province of Agrigento, the swollen Salto river breached its banks in several locations, inundating part of the coastal city of Licata.

In Florence, Tuscany’s river Elsa also burst its banks, and residents have been advised to avoid non-essential travel. More than 300 fire department interventions were carried out in Emilia Romagna, particularly in Bologna where the Ravone, Savena and Zena streams, as well as the Icice river, burst their banks.

Residents were also evacuated in the municipality of Cadelbosco di Sopra after the Crostolo torrent, a tributary of the river Po, overflowed.