State of emergency declared as flooded Venice braces for more high tides

State of emergency declared as flooded Venice braces for more high tides
# 15 November 2019 13:50 (UTC +04:00)

Venice is bracing itself for another morning of high tides in the historic lagoon city that has been underwater for much of this week, APA reports citing Euronews.

Schools and a number of public offices are to remain closed on Friday, according to the city's website, and locals have been advised to travel only when necessary.

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

It comes after the UNESCO city experienced its worst high tide in more than half a century, reaching 187cm on Monday evening.

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

A weather alert was put in place overnight on Thursday as a tidal peak was forecast to hit 160cm by the following morning.

The days-long floding 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 earlier in the week showed people wading through metres-high water in the backstreets and infront 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.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED