Two people have died following a massive mudslide that ripped through a town in northern Italy.  

A massive downpour caused widespread flooding and mud to flow through the streets in the town of Brazzano di Cormons, in the province of Gorizia near Trieste.

A man and a woman had been reported missing, but their bodies were found by firefighters following a day-long search. 

Their identities have not been publicly identified by authorities, but news reports said they are a 32-year-old German man and his 83-year-old neighbour whom he was checking on when the mudslide hit. 

'Firefighters found the body of one of the two people missing in the landslide that hit a house in Cormons under the rubble,' the local fire service wrote on social media.

Officials later said they had found 'the body of a missing woman'. 

The incident was sparked by a massive downpour that caused the Torre river to overflow its banks and sent mud pouring through the streets. Three homes were destroyed in the disaster. 

The pounding rain 'brought our community to its knees,' said the town's mayor, Roberto Felcaro, on social media, with an estimated 300 people being evacuated. 

About 10 inches fell in approximately eight hours, he said, causing 'serious damage and problems throughout our territory'.

'There is a massive presence of law enforcement, firefighters, and civil protection agencies working tirelessly.'

Earlier on Monday, rescue workers managed to pull one man to safety from under destroyed homes. He was sent to hospital with a broken leg, local news reported.

Video images taken by helicopter showed much of the area submerged by water.

Weather alerts have been issued across northern Italy due to bad weather.

The whole of Europe has been battered by shocking weather this year. 

Last month, British tourists faced Storm Benjamin chaos as 100mph winds lashed at French coasts, weather warnings spread across Spain and Portugal, and a British Airways flight was forced to abort its landing in Switzerland.

The increasingly extreme weather seen across the world has largely been blamed on climate change, which experts are now linking with increased drug use and higher risk of mental health crises.  

The report, by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggests that 'eco-fear' could lead to drug abuse, as people try to manage their emotions around climate change.

It has also linked climate change fears, also called 'eco-guilt', 'eco-grief' and 'eco-anger', to increased risks of certain mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 

The report, overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care, has also linked climate change concerns to an increased risk of people taking their own lives.

It states there is 'considerable evidence' linking climate change worries to 'increased risk of depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicide, substance misuse and violent behaviour, as well as reduced wellbeing and difficult climate emotions.'

The risk of violent behaviour and domestic violence, the report states, can increase as a result of extreme weather.

It concludes that the impacts can be 'long-lasting, ranging from months, years and even decades', and could have a particular affect on farmers and agricultural communities, where it will 'compound existing mental health challenges.'

And the impact is not just being felt by those whose lives have been directly impacted by climate change through wildfires, flooding or drought, but also those who have an 'overarching awareness' climate change is taking place.

The report states this awareness can lead to a huge range of emotions from sadness, fear and anger, to low mood, panic and helplessness.