At least three people were killed in Sardinia on Saturday, Italian media reported, after heavy rain caused flooding and rivers of mud on the Mediterranean island.

Two people were also missing in the north-central town of Bitti, in the province of Nuoro, and the authorities evacuated some residents from low-lying areas, Italian media reported.

Nuoro mayor Andrea Soddu wrote on Facebook that residents should take "maximum precautions" and stay inside until a red alert was called off.

Heavy rain and strong winds have battered the area since Friday, cutting electricity and phone lines.

Video images on the website of the Unione Sarda newspaper showed a river of water and mud tearing past homes in a town identified as Bitti.

The Repubblica newspaper reported that the victims were an elderly couple and a farmer trapped in his truck in a river of mud.

In 2013, severe flooding in the north of Sardinia killed 19 people.

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