Italian capital city on high alert amid severe weather

 Heavy rainfalls and strong winds have hit Rome since Wednesday night and hundreds of schools remained closed on Thursday after a severe weather warning was issued by local authorities.
The whole capital city and surrounding areas were put on the highest alert, as more rainfalls up to 110 millimeters in 24 hours were expected, according to Italian civil protection's forecast.
Major traffic disruption was registered on Thursday morning. At least four major metro stations were flooded by rains and shut, and water swamped several roads in the historical center and other districts.
The main highways to and from the city were also flooded, and the Rome's ring road GRA was jammed with traffic.
Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino urged citizens not to use their cars throughout Thursday if not strictly necessary. All limited traffic zones in Rome's historical center were intentionally left open to all cars in order to avoid possible congestion.
In addition to schools, the mayor ordered the closure of all archaeological and historical sites, as well as cemeteries and the three main universities of Rome
A wave of exceptionally heavy rainfalls has hit several areas in central and northwest Italy in the last 48 hours. The Tuscan city of Carrara was flooded on Tuesday after two local rivers had burst their banks, and civil protection officers had to evacuate several hundreds people from their homes.