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Firefighters rescued residents from flooded streets and cars were washed away in the Sicilian province of Messina on Sunday after a month's worth of rain fell in just four hours.

Almost 150 millimetres (six inches) of rain fell in the area, overloading the drainage system.

City officials said in a statement that the province had experienced an "event of exceptional magnitude".

Hours of heavy rainfall caused mudslides, while vehicles parked close to waterways were dragged downstream by flood waters.

Motorway operator Anas closed two sections of the Orientale Sicula state road and diverted traffic to alternative routes after the Fiumedinisi and Agrรฒ rivers burst their banks.



Roads invaded by hail in Catania
Roads covered by hail in Catania
In the Furci Siculo area, Mayor Matteo Francilia and local councillor Agatino Pistone rescued a driver who had remained trapped in a flooded underpass.

Several streets in the village of Zafferia were covered in mud and debris after the Zafferia river overflowed, leaving some residents temporarily trapped in their homes.

Firefighters carried out more than 100 operations on Sunday.

In a number of operations, rescuers used inflatable boats to pull people trapped in their homes to safety.

No injuries were reported in the affected area, Italy's civil protection department said.

Messina Mayor Federico Basile told news agency LaPresse on Sunday that "several companies are working to clear the roads, not only of water but also of the mud and debris that have covered them."

"All necessary procedures have been activated," he added.

Sicily's President Renato Schifani said he was "closely monitoring the ongoing weather emergency in eastern Sicily".

"I am in constant contact with the head of our Civil Protection department and the mayor of Messina to coordinate operations and ensure immediate assistance to the affected population. At the moment, the situation appears to be under control," he said.

Heavy rainfall also hit the region of Calabria, on the Italian mainland, on Sunday, forcing Catanzaro Mayor Nicola Fiorita to urge residents to stay at home.