Photo report by ITV News correspondent Elie Pitt
Intense weather Across Europe, two people were killed and dozens missing in Italy and France, as the UK braces for what could be mass floods.
Floods caused by record rains in the mountainous region that stretches across France and Italy have killed two people in Italy and left at least 24 people missing in the two countries.
A storm that swept southeast France and then northern Italy caused major floods on both sides of the border, destroying bridges, blocking roads and isolating local communities.
In Italy, a firefighter was killed during a rescue operation in the mountainous northern region of Val d’Aosta.
Another body was found in Vercelli province, near the place that was washed away by flood waters late on Friday evening.
In the UK, there are more than 20 flood warnings in heavy rains across the country.
24.8 inches
The amount of rain that fell in a 24-hour period in the Piedmont region
Among the places worst affected by far are parts of Exmoor, with 84 mm of rain recorded in 36 hours in Lescombe and 74.4 mm of rain in Brendon Hill.
The Met Office said many places will see between 25 and 50 mm of rain this weekend, and there is a possibility of more than 120 mm in some of the more exposed highlands in Snowdonia and Exmoor.
A total of 16 people have been reported missing in Italy, all of them traveling with the exception of one in cars on the Col de Tende high mountain pass between France and Italy, according to civil protection authorities.
They include two people from Germany who drive with their 11-year-old and six-year-old grandchildren, and a pair of brothers returning from France.
A spokesman for Italian firefighters said a search was underway for a missing shepherd who had been pulled into the flood waters of Cole de Tende.
His brother managed to grab a tree and was saved, while the authorities were searching on the French side for the shepherd.
Record rains cause huge floods in Italy:
Firefighters’ spokesperson Luca Curry said he suspected other people reported missing in Italy had lost the phone, but that they were not currently believed to be in imminent danger.
Carey said the situation in the tunnel on the High Mountain Pass was complicated by the fact that French emergency responders could not reach their side due to flood damage.
Italian firefighters are looking on the French side for people who may have been banned.
Overnight torrential rains reached levels not seen since 1958 in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, with up to 630 mm (24.8 in) of rain falling in a 24-hour period, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency.
Hundreds of rescue operations were underway.
Eleven camps were rescued in Vercelli County, where floodwaters reached their highest level in 20 years.
Alpine rescue teams evacuated on foot seven people who were in flooded homes in Terme di Valdery; Some had to be carried on stretchers due to the muddy conditions and the accumulation of waste.
On the other side of the border, in southeast France, average precipitation for nearly a year has decreased in less than 12 hours in the mountainous region around Nice.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi expressed his “sympathy and sympathy” for the families.
He said more than 100 homes were destroyed or severely damaged.
Firefighters said dozens of people were evacuated from their homes overnight.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex, who flew over the area by helicopter, confirmed that at least eight people were missing, including two firefighters who transported their vehicle with water when the road collapsed during a rescue operation.
“I cannot hide our extreme concern about the ultimate losses,” Castex said.
Not many families have heard of their relatives worrying about the disruption of mobile phone services in the area.
The prime minister said, “As I speak, the priority is to search for victims, provide supplies and shelter for those affected, and restore contacts.”
Castex said rescue efforts included 871 personnel working on the ground, in addition to military helicopters and troops assisting in emergency assistance.
On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his gratitude to rescue workers on Twitter.
“Together we will get over this,” he said.
And the French meteorological agency, Meteo France, said that up to 500 mm (19.7 in) of rain was recorded in some areas, equivalent to roughly one year of average precipitation.
France’s meteorological agency issued a hazard warning on Friday and closed all schools in the area.
Local authorities are urging people to stay home.
