Italy has been battered by fierce winds and rain which have left 11 people dead in the west and north, while in Venice rising floodwaters overwhelmed many of its famed squares and walkways.
Six people died in four separate incidents in Naples, Lazio and Liguria, after gale-force winds brought down trees.
Tourists and residents of Venice donned high boots to navigate the city’s streets, after strong winds raised the water level by more than 1.5 metres before receding.
It is estimated that three-quarters of the historic city is submerged.
St. Mark’s Square was closed this week, tourists picked their way across raised walkways—some requiring rescue—and shopkeepers bailed out their stores. The flooding in the city is the worst it’s been in a decade.
Much of Italy is still under alert for flooding from heavy rains, a problem exacerbated by a lack of maintenance of the country’s many river beds.
Some of the worst conditions were reported on the west coast, particularly in Liguria in the north-west.
The outer breakwater wall in the fashionable port of Rapallo was destroyed as its reinforced concreted crumbled, causing damage to some of the prize yachts moored at the resort.
Firefighters had to go to the rescue of 19 people after they became trapped in Rapallo.
Officials closed major tourist attractions early in Rome, including the Colosseum and Roman Forum, because of heavy rains.
