Venice hit by fresh flooding month after record tide

New images from the Associated Press (AP) show dozens of tourists wading through St Mark’s Square holding their suitcases and luggage aloft.

The tide peaked at 1.44 metres on Monday (23 December), causing flooding across some of the city’s most famous locations.

It comes after the city suffered its highest tide for more than 50 years last month when waters reached 1.87 metres. Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro said the 12 November tide caused more than €1 billion damage.

Speaking at a press conference, Vittorio Bonacini, chief of the Association of Venetian Hoteliers, said the city had suffered an unprecedented drop in the number of bookings since the November floods, AP reports.