Flash flooding has turned roads into rivers in the port city of Catania, on the Italian island of Sicily. The situation is “very critical,“ Giuseppa Maria Spampinato, a government official based in Catania, told on Tuesday. From the view of her office's window, Spampinato said the main street in the city -- Via Etnea -- appeared completely flooded. On Monday Italy's Department for Civil Protection issued a red alert -- its highest level warning -- for flooding in northeast Sicily and the southwest region of Calabria. A red alert was issued for a second day on Tuesday due to further expected intense rainfall. Intense rainfall and strong winds have impacted southern Italy since Sunday, with half a meter of rain reported in the region. The highest rainfall totals from Sunday to Tuesday morning are from Linguaglossa, Sicily, with 520.4 millimeters and Fabrizia, Calabria, with 440.2 millimeters . Catania reported 167 millimeters in 24 hours, more than twice the average October rain
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