Hurricane winds and violent storms leave seven dead in France and Italy

Beaches in Marseille were forced to close following thunderstorms on Wednesday (Daniel Cole/AP)

Violent thunderstorms and hurricane-force winds left at least seven people dead in France and Italy, uprooting trees in Tuscany and on the French island of Corsica and ripping away brick shards from St Mark’s famed bell tower in Venice.

Elsewhere, dozens of boats in the Mediterranean Sea called for emergency help.