Venice floods again: Climate change behind highest tide in 50 years

1Severe flooding in Venice

Severe flooding in Venice that has left much of the Italian city underwater is a direct result of climate change, the mayor says.

The highest water levels in the region in more than 50 years would leave “a permanent mark”, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. “Now the government must listen,” he added. “These are the effects of climate change… the costs will be high.”

Venice’s waters peaked at 1.87m (6ft), according to the tide monitoring center. The tide has been higher only once since official records began in 1923, reaching 1.94m in 1966. Images showed popular sites left completely flooded and people wading through the streets as Venice was hit by a storm.