Venice’s St Mark’s Square closed again as city hit by third major flooding in a week

The historic Italian city saw water levels rise by 150cm (4.9 feet) as sea surges and strong storms battered the region

Meanwhile, heavy rain elsewhere in the country has prompted flood warnings in Pisa and Florence

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A city worker helps a woman who decided to cross St Mark’s square in Venice on a gangway, in spite of prohibition. Photo: AP

Published: 11:34pm, 17 Nov 2019Updated: 12:27am, 18 Nov 2019

Venice’s St Mark’s Square was closed on Sunday as the historic city suffered its third major flooding in less than a week, while rain lashing the rest of Italy prompted warnings in Florence and Pisa.

Venice’s latest “acqua alta”, or high water, hit 150cm (4.9 feet) on Sunday, lower than Tuesday’s 187 centimetres (6.1 feet) – the highest level in half a century – but still dangerous.

“The water has stopped rising,” tweeted mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has estimated damage so far from the invading salt water at over 1 billion euros (US$1 billion).

“High of 150 centimetres … Venice is working to restart,” Brugnaro said after the seawater swamped the already devastated city, where authorities have declared a state of emergency.

To the south, Tuscany president Enrico Rossi tweeted a warning of a “flood wave” on the Arno and said boards were being installed on the swollen river’s banks in Pisa “as a precautionary measure”.

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