Two people are dead after heavy rain and hailstones hit Palermo late on Wednesday.

The rain caused severe flooding in the Sicilian capital, with Mayor Leoluca Orlando saying record rainfall had been recorded in two hours.

Italian news agency Ansa said the storm had caused as much rain as a full year.

Hundreds of motorists were forced to abandon their cars as the rain flooded the roads and tunnels.

The victims drowned in their car in a tunnel.

Two children were treated for hypothermia.

The Met Office said the storm is not expected to hit Malta and the islands will have fine weather.

The Maltese Islands Weather observatory said the Maltese Islands will be spared any bad weather apart from cooler temperatures and a strong breeze over the weekend.

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