Malpensa was closed for several hours as emergency service crews in rubber rafts saved around 10 people trapped in their submerged cars and evacuated around 20 people stuck in the airport’s cargo area.

Intense rainstorms led to the closure of the runways for over two hours, with flights redirected to other airports.

Malpensa recorded a rainfall of 87 millimetres in one hour and 40 minutes, compared to 75 millimetres for the whole of May, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Airport staff and passengers posted footage on the social media of the flooding, with water gushing down stairs into the airport’s baggage handling area.

The storms also affected Milan at large, albeit to a lesser extent, causing flooded underpasses and fallen branches.