Italian city hit by highest tide in 50 years

Parts of the Italian city of Venice have been left under water after the highest tide in more than 50 years.

The waters peaked at 1.87m (6ft), according to the tide monitoring centre.

Only once since records began in 1923 has the tide been higher, reaching 1.94m in 1966.

St Mark’s square – one of the lowest parts of the city – was one of the worst hit areas. St Mark’s basilica was flooded for the sixth time in 1,200 years, according to records.

A member of St Mark’s council Pierpaolo Campostrini, said four of those floods had now occurred within the past 20 years.