Southern Italy braced for rare Mediterranean hurricane

Medicane' storm with winds of 100km/h expected in Sicily, where two have died in flooding

Southern Italy was braced on Wednesday for the arrival of what forecasters have described as a Medicane - a rare Mediterranean hurricane bringing winds of more than 100kmh and producing 5-metre waves.

Fierce storms have battered Sicily for days, leaving roads submerged in the eastern part of the island and claiming the lives of at least two people. Video footage shows flood waters engulfing the city of Palermo, turning streets into rivers and squares into lakes.