Venice flooded

Rain-soaked tourists were barred from St Mark's Square in Venice where local authorities said the "acqua alta" (high water) peaked at 156cm, leaving almost three-quarters of the Italian city under water.

Elevated wooden platforms usually placed on main passageways in the Renaissance city were not high enough to ensure safe passage in the low-lying square.

Families carried children on their shoulders through the surrounding streets.

While some tourists donned wellies, others had opted to take off their shoes and wade through the water.

The waters have only topped 150cm five times before in recorded history.

In 1966, when floods swept through the country, famously devastating Florence's historic centre, the waters reached 194cm in Venice.