Three-quarters of Venice under water as Italy hit by high winds and heavy rain
Venice experienced the worst flood for a decade yesterday when three-quarters of the city was under water.
Tourists and locals were forced to wade through the streets after an exceptional high tide caused by strong winds raised the water level by more than five feet.
Participants in the Venice marathon were forced to jog through ankle deep water.
Water-bus services were suspended, except to outlying islands, during the emergency.
Authorities said the flooding could have been prevented by a delayed scheme to erect underwater barriers, which has been hit by rising costs and corruption scandals.
The barriers would rise when the tide reaches 43 inches, which happens an average of four times a year, causing the city to flood. Yesterday’s tide was the highest seen since December 2008.
Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro has asked to talk to Italy’s prime minster Giuseppe Conte to stress the urgent need to complete the barriers.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
AirlineRatings reveals world's safest airline rankings for 2026
Vietnam warns airlines of possible flight reductions amid jet fuel shortages
Fliggy opens AI-powered travel bookings and developer tools