Rome - A boy was feared drowned after falling into Rome's Tiber river, which was swollen after days of heavy rain, officials said Saturday.

The young Irish boy was among crowds of curious and anxious onlookers who had come out during the night to look at and take pictures of the river as it threatened to burst its banks.

Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said early Saturday that the situation had "stabilized."

The Tiber reached a level of 12.5 metres, the highest for decades.

Apart from minor flooding in Monterondo, the Italian capital had managed to keep its feet dry, the mayor said.

"The flood has not passed, but for now, we can put our minds at rest," Alemanno said.

The mayor, who had been criticized for not doing more to prepare the city for the floods, watched the situation from observation points during the night.

Some bridges were closed in Rome ahead of the floods and areas close to the river that threatened to flood were evacuated.

The Tiber had not reached dangerous levels in the historic centre of the city, the authorities said.

Romans were able to take some dramatic pictures of the flooding, including a barge trapped under a bridge.

Storms and snow had disrupted traffic and caused floods, landslides and emergencies in Italy in the course of the week.

In Calabria, three people died as a result of the bad weather, while 40,000 were without drinking water after a spring was contaminated.

Schools were closed in some regions. (dpa)