Italy floods: 10 dramatic pictures show scale of destruction

13 people have died and thousands evacuated from their homes in northern Italy as torrential rain triggered floods and landslides.

Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said some areas had received half their average annual rainfall in just 36 hours, causing rivers to burst their banks, sending water cascading through towns and submerging thousands of acres of farmland.

Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix in Imola, which is close to many of the worst-hit areas, was called off in an effort to relieve pressure on emergency services and prevent motor racing fans from converging on the inundated region.

The president of the worst-hit Emilia-Romagna region Stefano Bonaccini said the damage was "catastrophic."

Here, Yahoo News UK has collected some of the most dramatic pictures showing the impact of the floods.

Read more: Exceptional weather becomes the new norm in exposed Italy

Authorities said flooding had hit 37 towns and communities and around 120 landslides had been registered, with the collapse of one bridge.

Government officials said tax and mortgage payments would be suspended for flood-hit regions during the emergency.

It is the second time this month the region has been hit by floods, with two killed in storms at the start of May.

The torrential rain followed months of drought which had dried out the land, reducing its capacity to absorb water and worsening the impact of the floods.

"It's probably been the worst night in the history of Romagna," Ravenna Mayor Michele de Pascale told public radio, saying 5,000 people were evacuated from his city on Tuesday night.

"Ravenna is unrecognisable after the damage it has suffered."

The historic city is famous for its early Christian monuments and is a popular tourist destination.