Temperatures plunge suddenly as Italy battered by torrential rain.

Italy's incessant rain and sudden drop in temperature in recent days have resulted in the country's coldest September for 50 years, reports Italian media.

Over the weekend, temperatures in Italy plunged by between 10 and 15 degrees, leading to snow falls much earlier than usual.

The spell of bad weather, triggered by a belt of cold air from northern Europe, has been particularly intense in Milan and Turin which recorded 5°C and 4°C degrees respectively on the night of Sunday 27 September.

• September snow falls near Rome

Temperatures also dropped steeply elsewhere - to below 10°C degrees in Tuscany - while hill towns in the central Lazio area witnessed snow over the weekend.

The regions of Calabria, Campania, Lazio and Sardinia are currently being battered by heavy rain and thunderstorms, however forecasters predict the weather will improve across the country, with temperatures rising, from 29 September.

Photo credit: MikeDotta / Shutterstock.com.