Floodwaters invade homes and rush down streets in Sicily

A rare cyclonic storm has left Sicily battered by floodwaters as cars have been completely submerged and homes invaded by the rare floods on the Italian island.

The city of Catania and the surrounding areas have been particularly hard hit, with numerous videos on social media showing the extent of the damage caused by the heavy rains.

More than 300mm (11.8 inches) of rain fell in just a few hours on Sunday (24 October), which is nearly half the average amount predicted on the island annually.

Sign up to our free climate newsletter here