Italy: Floods in Emilia-Romagna region kill at least eight as residents urged to reach higher ground

Aerial footage shows the scale of the flooding across Italy's Emilia-Romagna region

Flooding in northern Italy has lead to at least eight people being killed, with officials warning other residents to get to higher ground, amid fears rivers could burst their banks again.

Some 5,000 people have already been evacuated from the country's Emilia-Romagna region, as heavy rains continue to fall.

Formula 1 (F1) has cancelled the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which was due to go ahead this weekend.

Persistent rain in the region saw the F1 paddock at the circuit evacuated on Tuesday because of the risk of flooding.

In a statement, put out on Wednesday afternoon, F1 said the decision to not go ahead with the sixth round of the season came as it could not safely hold the event.

Formula One's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was due to take place this weekend. Credit: AP

Italian Civil Protection Minister Nello Musemeci said 24 towns had to be evacuated.

At a briefing, Musemeci said he hoped those still reported missing would turn out to be false alarms.Some 50,000 people were without electricity, and more than 100,000 without mobile phone or landline use, the minister added.

Enzo Lattuca, mayor of the city of Cesena, posted a video on Wednesday where he cautioned that the Savio river and smaller tributaries could be set to overflow once more.

He urged residents to move to the upper floors of their homes, avoid riverbanks and announced the closure to traffic of some bridges and streets.

Firefighters use dinghies to cross a flooded road, near Faenza, Italy. Credit: AP

Mayor Lattuca said: "The situation could again become critical. We cannot in any way lower our guard."

Italy's Civil Protection deputy chief, Titti Postiglione, said the rescue operations for those needing emergency evacuations were particularly difficult given so many roads and routes were flooded.

She told Sky TG24 that the affected flood zone covered a broad swath of four provinces that, until the heavy rains, had been parched by a prolonged drought.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government was monitoring the situation and "is ready to intervene with necessary help".

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