France and Italy hit by extreme Storm Alex floods
At least two people have died and up to 20 remain missing after a robust storm hit south-eastern France and north-western Italy.
Named Alex, the storm brought fierce winds and torrential rain.
Several villages north of Nice in France suffered serious damage from floods and landslides, with roads, bridges and homes destroyed.
In north-western Italy, flooding was referred to as "historic". A section of a bridge over the Sesia river collapsed.
What's the latest in France?
French Prime Minister Jean Castex has deployed the army and released emergency funds to tackle the worst floods for decades in south-eastern France.
Up to 20 persons are either missing or have not checked in with relatives.
"There are extremely many persons of whom we have no news," Mr Castex said.
Bernard Gonzalez, prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes region, said: "Because their loved kinds haven't had the opportunity to get in touch doesn't imply that they have already been taken by the storm."
He said the chance of more rain was "a worry".
Meteorological agency Météo-France said 450mm (17.7in) of rain fell in a few areas over 24 hours - the equivalent of nearly four months at this time of year, reports Reuters news agency.
The southern Alps region appeared the worst hit, with serious damage in the Roya, Tinée, Esteron and Vésubie valleys.
The villages of Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Rimplas were cut off, with roads inaccessible.
One 29-year-old resident of Roquebillière told Agence France-Presse: "I lost everything but we are alive. There has to be one room left in my house."
Two elderly persons were swept away as their residence collapsed in the village and their fate is unknown.
On Friday, the storm also buffeted France's western Atlantic coast, triggering tens of thousands of homes to reduce power.
Winds greater than 180km/h (112mph) were recorded in Brittany on Thursday and Friday.
And in Italy?
The two fatalities were a 53-year-old firefighter in the Aosta Valley who died throughout a rescue operation, and a 36-year-old man whose car was swept into a river in the Piedmont region. His brother got out of your car.
A section of a key bridge over the Sesia river in Piedmont's Vercelli province collapsed soon after it turned out reopened on Saturday afternoon.4
In the others of Piedmont, several villages were cut off following the rains made roads impassable. The problem there was referred to as "extremely critical" by officials.
Piedmont President Alberto Cirio told La Stampa that 630mm of rain had fallen in a day, an amount "unheard of since 1954".
Hundreds of aid workers have been delivered to help rescue efforts in the cut-off villages.
The storm also influenced the north-western parts of Lombardy and Liguria. The Roja river in Ventimiglia has also flooded.
Flood alerts remain for sections of the Po river that have swollen by 3m in a day.
One good piece of news was the rescue around 20 persons reported missing by Italian authorities just above the border in France.
The city of Venice, which had been braced for high waters after suffering violent storms in August, was successfully protected by a flood barrier system recently declared fully operational.
