Rome - Police divers on Thursday pulled the body of a woman from a car submerged in a flooded tunnel near Rome following a night of heavy rains and snowfalls around Italy.

The identity of the woman and the cause of her death were not immediately clear, the ANSA news agency reported.

The tunnel near Monterotondo was among several areas in and around the Italian capital hit by storms that left several motorways and roads blocked.

Authorities urged commuters to use public transport instead of their cars.

Meanwhile workers began clearing snow from several major roads in the northern Trentino-Alto Adige region bordering Austria. Many schools in the area were set to remain closed for the day.

On the southern island of Sicily storms left trees uprooted and dozens of cars stuck in mud, news reports said. (dpa)