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Flood-stricken Venice hit by fresh high tide, leaving most of city under water

Next few days will see lower water levels, forecast says

Zoe Tidman
Sunday 17 November 2019 11:45 EST
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A tourist holds a huge mask amid rising water levels in Venice on 17 November
A tourist holds a huge mask amid rising water levels in Venice on 17 November (EPA)

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Venice has been hit by another high tide, leaving nearly 70 per cent of the city flooded, according to city authorities.

Venice still remained covered by water on Sunday. St Mark’s square was closed off to pedestrians and water levels rose in Venice’s old town, according to the Il Gazzettino newspaper.

Stores and museums were mostly closed in the hardest-hit area around the famous square, but tourists donned high rubber boots or even hip waders to witness and photograph the spectacle.

The city was 69 per cent flooded, the centre said in a press release.

A high tide was predicted to reach a maximum of 160cm at 1.30pm, the city’s centre for forecasting tides had warned.

The peak turned out to be 10cm lower and was recorded at 13.10pm local time at Punta della Salute.

Elevated tides are forecasted over the next few days but Sunday will be the worst of the flooding, the centre said.

“The water has finished rising,” Venice’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, posted on Twitter.

“Peak of 150cm at Punta della Saluta,” he said. “Venice is preparing to get going again.”

Earlier this week, 85 per cent of Venice was underwater after a bout of severe flooding.

Water levels peaked at 1.87m at one point, the second highest tide ever recorded in the Italian city.

The flooding in Venice has been its worst in half a century and has killed two people.

Associated Press contributed to this report

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