Watch: Nearly three-quarters of Venice underwater after another high tide

Published on 15/11/2019 - 10:38•Updated 15:36

Venice has been hit with another round of flooding on Friday just days after it experienced its worst high tide in more than half a century.

Venice has been hit with another high tide that has left around 70% of the Italian city underwater.

According to local authorities, the tide peaked at 154cm on Friday, leaving the already flooded iconic landmarks in the lagoon city struggling to take more water.

Schools and a number of public offices also remained closed in anticipation of the fresh flooding, and locals were advised to travel only when necessary.

It comes after the UNESCO city experienced its second-worst tide in history on Monday night, reaching a peak of 187cm.

This fell just short of the overall record of 194cm set in 1966.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has declared a state of emergency and has pledged €20 million in funds to help with an urgent cleanup operation.

However, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has estimated the actual costs to repair the city could be much higher.

In a video posted to Twitter, he said the city had been "destroyed", before saying he thought the damage could total €1bn.

He added: "This is a state of emergency, but we are managing it."

Earlier in the week, Brugnaro had attributed the historic flooding to a consequence of climate change.

"These are the effects of climate change," he wrote, later adding: "Venice is on its knees."

The days-long flooding of the historic city has ignited concerns for the protection of the most iconic and treasured architecture, and artefacts that attract tourists year-round.

Pictures captured throughout the week showed people wading through metres-high water in the backstreets and in front of famous backdrops such as Saint Mark's basilica.

It is the sixth time in 1,200 years that the basilica has been flooded, with four of those incidents happening in the last two decades.

On Thursday, Brugnaro visited Pellestrina, one of the worst-affected areas.

He said: "The citizens are already at work, but they have lost a lot and there are structures to rebuild", before saying the focus must be placed on finishing a Mose flood barrier project to protect the city from destructive tides.