Italy issues weather alerts in 12 regions as severe storms hit

Italian authorities issued weather warnings in 12 regions for Friday as severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall swept parts of the country, including Florence, the broadcaster Sky TG24 reported.

An Atlantic weather system moving across central Europe brought intense thunderstorms Thursday to northern and central Italy, with additional heavy rainfall expected.

The Civil Protection Department issued yellow alerts for Friday for parts of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Lazio, Campania, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Umbria and Tuscany.

Storms affected or were forecast in Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Tuscany and Campania, with authorities warning of intense downpours, strong wind gusts and frequent lightning.

Florence was hit by particularly heavy rainfall, described by the media as a "water bomb."

At the Uffizi Gallery, water seeped into the museum and splashed onto the exterior glass of the protective case housing Caravaggio's Bacchus. No damage to the artwork was reported.

Orange weather alerts were in place Thursday in large parts of Liguria and sections of Emilia-Romagna, while several other regions were under yellow warnings.