Snowfall forced the closure of a stretch of Italy's popular A1 Naples-Milan motorway to heavy vehicles Thursday as a double weather front continued to drive rain, wind and snow across much of the country. Snow fell heavily on the A1 between Rioveggio in Emilia Romagna and Barberino di Mugello in Florence, in the mountainous Apennine region, obliging lorries to take alternative routes in both directions. Meanwhile, up to 60 cm of snow fell across parts of Piemonte which, together with the other northern regions, was bearing the brunt of the protracted bad weather.
Strong winds drove sleet across the Veneto plain while in Venice sirens sounded to warn the population of high waters of up to 130 cm. In Trieste in the northern Friuli Venezia Giulia region the Bora wind blew at speeds of up to 112 kmph.
In Lombardy snow fell from mid-morning in and around Milan.
Further south in the central Lazio region drivers in the coastal town of Ladispoli had to be rescued after becoming stranded in their vehicles when a waterway burst its banks. Also in Lazio a landslide on tracks near Manziana north of the capital caused an empty train to derail.
No one was hurt in the accident but the stretch of railway between Capranica and Bracciano was closed, causing disruptions to commuters.
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