By . Kerry Mcdermott and Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 14:29 EST, 14 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 15 November 2012 . Flood water covered swathes of central and northern Italy today after the region was battered by torrential rain. Devastating storms caused huge damage . at the weekend, washing out roads and isolating towns in southern . Tuscany, where four people died as a result of flooding. Yesterday . one of Rome's most historic bridges was closed as the swollen Tiber . River roared through the capital and flooded outlying neighbourhoods. Scroll down for video . Threat: The level of the Tiber was rising near St Peter's Basilica in Rome today, after four people died in floods caused by heavy rain in Tuscany this week . Flotsam: Officials monitor the level of the Tiber river at Ponte Milvio as floating debris is washed up against the bridge . Pensive: Volunteers watch the Tiber river near Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome (left). Debris gathers against the walls of the bridge (right) Deluge: Saint Peter's Basilica is seen in downtown Rome behind the Tiber river, as a sightseeing boat is moored on the submerged banks . Floods: An aerial view of flood water covering the area around the town of Orte, near Rome, Italy . The Tiber's muddied waters rose to . fill some of the supporting arches of the Ponte Milvio, or Milvian . Bridge, threatening to engulf a pedestrian walkway and submerging trees. The . bridge, the current version of which dates to 1850, marks the spot of a . previous bridge where in 312 the emperor Constantine defeated his rival . Maxentius in one of the most pivotal battles of ancient Roman history. High embankment walls protected the rest of central Rome but the Tiber and Aniene rivers broke their banks north of the city, flooding farmland and parts of smaller towns. In Rome's northern outskirts, drainage pipes, irrigation canals and sewers backed up, flooding streets that feed into the country's main north-south highway and blocking traffic. Four people died in southern Tuscany in the wake of rainstorms at the weekend, including three electric company workers whose car fell off a collapsed bridge. Farmers' lobby Coldiretti said rain, flooding and landslides in central and northern Italy may have caused up to 100 million euros in damage to agriculture. Torrent: The level of the river Arno, which runs through Florence, is very high. The heavy rains caused the death of four victims in Tuscany, with three of them found in a car . Abandoned: A car is submerged in floodwater in the village of Albinia, central Italy. The floods were caused by a storm over the Adriatic . Carabinieri officer and rescuers evacuate residents in Albinia. Heavy rains battered north and central Italy including Tuscany . This image shows a factory partially submerged by flood water near the village of Albinia, central Italy, after the region was battered by torrential rainfall . Storms that hit northern and central Italy at the weekend caused enormous damage. Farmer organisations estimate the damage to agriculture could be 100 million euros . The storms whipped the Adriatic on . Sunday, causing some of the worst flooding in the past 150 years in the . lagoon city of Venice. St Mark's Square and other low-lying areas were . under so much water that some tourists were able to swim there. Officials said the situation in Venice was returning to normal. A . section of the main A-1 north-south highway that had been closed . between the Lazio and Umbria regions was reopened to passenger traffic . on Wednesday but still closed to heavy vehicles. VIDEO: The River Tiber bursts its banks...
The deluge-hit river has flooded Rome and the surrounding area .
Both Tiber and Aniene broke their banks, flooding the capital and towns and farmlands nearby .
Flooding follows death of four people died in southern Tuscany in the wake of rainstorms at the weekend .
By . Kerry Mcdermott and Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 14:29 EST, 14 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 15 November 2012 . Flood water covered swathes of central and northern Italy today after the region was battered by torrential rain. Devastating storms caused huge damage . at the weekend, washing out roads and isolating towns in southern . Tuscany, where four people died as a result of flooding. Yesterday . one of Rome's most historic bridges was closed as the swollen Tiber . River roared through the capital and flooded outlying neighbourhoods. Scroll down for video . Threat: The level of the Tiber was rising near St Peter's Basilica in Rome today, after four people died in floods caused by heavy rain in Tuscany this week . Flotsam: Officials monitor the level of the Tiber river at Ponte Milvio as floating debris is washed up against the bridge . Pensive: Volunteers watch the Tiber river near Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome (left). Debris gathers against the walls of the bridge (right) Deluge: Saint Peter's Basilica is seen in downtown Rome behind the Tiber river, as a sightseeing boat is moored on the submerged banks . Floods: An aerial view of flood water covering the area around the town of Orte, near Rome, Italy . The Tiber's muddied waters rose to . fill some of the supporting arches of the Ponte Milvio, or Milvian . Bridge, threatening to engulf a pedestrian walkway and submerging trees. The . bridge, the current version of which dates to 1850, marks the spot of a . previous bridge where in 312 the emperor Constantine defeated his rival . Maxentius in one of the most pivotal battles of ancient Roman history. High embankment walls protected the rest of central Rome but the Tiber and Aniene rivers broke their banks north of the city, flooding farmland and parts of smaller towns. In Rome's northern outskirts, drainage pipes, irrigation canals and sewers backed up, flooding streets that feed into the country's main north-south highway and blocking traffic. Four people died in southern Tuscany in the wake of rainstorms at the weekend, including three electric company workers whose car fell off a collapsed bridge. Farmers' lobby Coldiretti said rain, flooding and landslides in central and northern Italy may have caused up to 100 million euros in damage to agriculture. Torrent: The level of the river Arno, which runs through Florence, is very high. The heavy rains caused the death of four victims in Tuscany, with three of them found in a car . Abandoned: A car is submerged in floodwater in the village of Albinia, central Italy. The floods were caused by a storm over the Adriatic . Carabinieri officer and rescuers evacuate residents in Albinia. Heavy rains battered north and central Italy including Tuscany . This image shows a factory partially submerged by flood water near the village of Albinia, central Italy, after the region was battered by torrential rainfall . Storms that hit northern and central Italy at the weekend caused enormous damage. Farmer organisations estimate the damage to agriculture could be 100 million euros . The storms whipped the Adriatic on . Sunday, causing some of the worst flooding in the past 150 years in the . lagoon city of Venice. St Mark's Square and other low-lying areas were . under so much water that some tourists were able to swim there. Officials said the situation in Venice was returning to normal. A . section of the main A-1 north-south highway that had been closed . between the Lazio and Umbria regions was reopened to passenger traffic . on Wednesday but still closed to heavy vehicles. VIDEO: The River Tiber bursts its banks...
Tiber . River roared through the capital and and Aniene rivers broke their banks north of the Four people died in southern Tuscany in the wake of rainstorms at the weekend, including three the death of four victims in Tuscany, with three