Heavy rains also caused flooding and evacuation of some 1,000 residents in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The death toll was rising in Central Europe, as receding waters were revealing the huge scale of the destruction caused by exceptionally heavy rains that began a week ago,

A massive flood wave moving across Central Europe threatened new areas after claiming 24 lives, raising concerns among residents and officials and prompting European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen to plan a visit to the region Thursday.

The north-east and central regions of Italy are being battered, days after the storm caused widespread flooding in central Europe.