Venice High Water 2012

Venice 'high water' floods 70% of city

Venetians direct anger at forecasters after 'exceptional and unpredictable' rise in sea waters floods homes and businesses.

Venetians direct anger at forecasters after 'exceptional and unpredictable' rise in sea waters floods homes and businesses.

Cafes in St Mark's Square, Venice, were subsumed by the rising floodwaters – said to be the sixth highest since 1872.

Tourists attached plastic bags to their legs or stripped off to take a dip in St Mark's Square in Venice on Sunday as rising sea waters surged through the lagoon city.

Venice's high water, or "acqua alta", said to be the sixth highest since 1872, flooded 70% of the city and was high enough to make raised wooden platforms for pedestrians float away.

Venice's high water, or "acqua alta", said to be the sixth highest since 1872, flooded 70% of the city and was high enough to make raised wooden platforms for pedestrians float away.

Venice's high water, or "acqua alta", said to be the sixth highest since 1872, flooded 70% of the city and was high enough to make raised wooden platforms for pedestrians float away.

The record high water in Venice – 1.94 metres in 1966 – prompted many residents to abandon the city for new lives on the mainland.

The record high water in Venice – 1.94 metres in 1966 – prompted many residents to abandon the city for new lives on the mainland.

The record high water in Venice – 1.94 metres in 1966 – prompted many residents to abandon the city for new lives on the mainland.

Venetians bombarded Facebook with moans about the city's weather forecasters, who had predicted just 1.2 metres of water on Saturday, before correcting their forecast at dawn on Sunday.

Venetians bombarded Facebook with moans about the city's weather forecasters, who had predicted just 1.2 metres of water on Saturday, before correcting their forecast at dawn on Sunday.

"I cannot keep the water out, but at least I can make sure it goes straight back out when it recedes," she said.

Matteo Secchi, a hotelier and head of a protest group, who grew up in ground floor flat in Venice and recalls splashing into water on getting out of bed, said his hotel was only safe up to 140cm.

"The British tourists don't complain but the Americans can't understand how it's possible."

Secchi complained that a running event around the city had not been cancelled on Sunday.

Secchi complained that a running event around the city had not been cancelled on Sunday.

Alessandro Maggioni, the city's assessor for public works, defended the Venice weather centre, describing the high water as "exceptional and unpredictable".

"Meanwhile, there is no rise in the incidence of high waters," he said.

Wind-whipped rains bring Venice tides to 6th highest since records kept; Tuscany also hit hard

Flooding is common this time of year and Sunday's level that reached a peak of 58.66 inches (149 centimeters) was below the 63 inches (160 centimeters) recorded four years ago in the worst flooding in decades.

Italian news reports said the same weather system that put 70 per cent of central Venice under water on Sunday was wreaking havoc elsewhere in north and central Italy, with some 200 people evacuated from their homes in hard-hit Tuscany.

Italian news reports said the same weather system that put 70 per cent of central Venice under water on Sunday was wreaking havoc elsewhere in north and central Italy, with some 200 people evacuated from their homes in hard-hit Tuscany.

Italian news reports said the same weather system that put 70 per cent of central Venice under water on Sunday was wreaking havoc elsewhere in north and central Italy, with some 200 people evacuated from their homes in hard-hit Tuscany.