Powerful storms have battered central and southern Europe areas, killing at least 13 people.

Iran PressEurope: The deaths, most from falling trees, were reported in Italy, Austria, and the French island of Corsica.

Italy

Heavy rain and winds wrecked campsites on the island, while in Venice, Italy, masonry was blown off the belltower of St Mark's Basilica.

The storms follow weeks of heatwave and drought across much of the continent.

Meanwhile, a man and a woman were killed by falling trees in separate incidents in the region of Tuscany.

High winds swept through Venice, blowing café umbrellas across St Mark's Square and dislodging brickwork from the cathedral belltower.

France

In Corsica, winds gusting up to 224 km/h (140mph) uprooted trees and damaged mobile homes.

Authorities there said a 13-year-old girl was killed by a falling tree on a campsite.

A man died in a similar incident, and an elderly woman was killed when her car was hit by the detached roof of a beach hut.

Two other people, a fisherman and a female kayaker died out at sea.

Later French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who has arrived in Corsica to inspect storm damage, reported the sixth death.

Dozens more people were injured on both land and sea.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms on Wednesday flooded Paris subway stations and the Old Port of Marseille, and winds over 100 km/h were recorded at the top of the Eiffel Tower during a flash flood on Tuesday.

The fierce rains come amid a summer of drought, heat waves, and forest fires across Europe that scientists link to human-caused climate change.

Austria

In Austria, two girls were killed by a falling tree near a lake in Carinthia.

Later, three more deaths were reported by media in Lower Austria province, also as a result of a falling tree.

 

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