Italy storms: death toll rises to 11 after wild wind and heavy rains buffets the country

At least 11 people have been killed over two days in Italy after much of the country was hit by heavy rain and high winds.

Many of the deaths were due to falling trees crashing down on cars or on passers-by.

The fatalities also included a woman who was buried by mud when a landslide invaded her home near Trento in northern Italy, and a man who was windsurfing in Emilia-Romagna.

The other fatalities occurred in Naples, Liguria, Lazio and Veneto.

The high winds created an exceptional tide in Venice, covering three-quarters of the city for the first time in a decade.

Water levels were forecast to hit over one metre.

News agency Ansa reported damage to the mosaic floors inside Venice's famed St Mark's Basilica, where waters reached 90cm.

The bronze metal doors and columns also sustained damage.

The wooden floors in the nearly 300-year-old Florian cafe nearby were also seriously damaged.

In the capital, Rome, more than 100 trees were felled by high winds, and ports reported damage from the storm, including to moored boats.

Nearly 6000 firefighters were dispatched to remove debris from roadways across the country.

One firefighter was killed by a falling tree near Bolzano.

Schools were closed in large areas of the country for two days as a precaution.

AAP