St Mark's Square floods as low pressure tracks across Italy

The low pressure system that brought snowfall to parts of the UK over the weekend has tracked its way across to the Mediterranean, bringing rain, snow and thunderstorms to parts of Italy on Monday and Tuesday.

Water in Venice, the capital of the northeastern Veneto region, rose to 140 centimetres above sea level, submerging some 58 percent of the city including the famed St Mark's Square.

Venice -- renowned for the canals that weave through the city -- is no stranger to water, the floods are putting the delicate system under heavy stress. The last time similar flood levels were recorded was Christmas 2010, when waters reached 144 centimetres above sea level.

The bulk of the snowfall affected northern parts of the country including the Po Valley where may towns and cities saw several inches of snow. Sections of the Alps and Apennine Range also experienced heavy snowfall.

Meanwhile, in Rome, the Basilica was spectacularly struck by lightning as a large thunderstorm passed overhead.

The disturbed weather pattern will continue to dominate for the next couple of days with the focus shifting to Greece and more especially the Balkans where forecasters are predicting heavy rain, thunderstorms and snowfall across higher ground.