(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 13 - Flood waters tossed cars around in Torre Archirafi on Wednesday, dragging some into the sea, after the torrential rain that has hit Sicily turned streets into rivers in the town near Catania.
    Local people made over 30 requests for help to the emergency services.
    There were no reports of anyone being unaccounted for because of the extreme weather at the time of writing.
    Firefighters rescued a number of motorists trapped in their cars by the floods in the town of Aci Sant'Antonio.
    Another person was saved by the emergency services after their home was flooded in Acireale.
    The fire brigade use an amphibious vehicle in Altarello to rescue four people, included two disabled, after the ground floor of a house was invaded by water.
    Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.
    Italy has experienced a long series of such events in recent years.
    This year intense heatwaves and extreme droughts have impacted southern regions, with Sicily and Sardinia hit especially severely, while heavy rainfall has led to flooding in Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Marche, prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency.
    Although there are many sources of the greenhouse gases that are causing global heating, the main driver is the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, sales of which generate huge profits for the world's energy giants. (ANSA).