Venice, one of Italy’s most iconic cities, is submerged in a tidal surge more than six feet deep as of this morning. The locally-named “aqua alta” is the result of a rising tide, as Venice sits in a lagoon on the Adriatic sea. The city tends to flood at the end of the year around autumn and winter, but the latest activity is the most severe in more than 50 years.
Is Venice completely underwater?
During an acqua alta, water levels in Venice can become dangerously high, and the latest figures show a maximum water depth of 184cm.
The deepest water level ever monitored in the city was 194cm, nearly six foot four inches, during the record-breaking acqua alta of 1966.
According to estimations from Venice’s government, nearly all of the city is currently underwater.
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Despite Venice’s current difficulties, life in the tourist hotspot goes on.
Visitors and commuters are progressing around the city via an array of platforms which sit on the water.
Some of the city’s most popular tourist attractions remain open, including the Ducal Palace and Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia.
Locals have had mixed reactions to the city’s latest deluge, with some saying the water levels make Venice a ”special” place.