Climate change means more extreme dry weather and more extreme wet weather, explains climatologist Aurélien Ribes.

Massive floods caused serious damage and power outages on Friday in parts of France's mountainous southeast region after days of heavy rain, though there were no immediate reports of any casualties.

France remains on alert for heavy rain and flooding in the southwest while the north gets a slight reprieve from the intense precipitation that has thrown life out of gear and disrupted crop harvesting and planting.

Parts of southeast France have experienced severe flooding, resulting in significant damage and widespread power outages after days of relentless rainfall. Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of casualties, but the impacts of the flooding have been extensive.

An "avalanche of water" in northeast Italy claimed one life and left swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region under water Sunday, local officials said.

Floods engulfed parts of north-central Italy from overflowing rivers following days of heavy rain, prompting the state-led road operator to close some expressways.

Major flooding has occurred in several regions throughout the country since yesterday afternoon, leaving several towns completely underwater

Since yesterday, fierce storms have pummeled Northern Italy, forcing firefighters to complete over 350 rescue operations across Liguria, Emilia Romagna, and Tuscany. Intense rainfall triggered widespread flooding,