Tourists have been left wading through flooded streets to seek shelter as wind whipped up waves in St Mark's Square
Only once since records began in 1923 has the water crept even higher, reaching 1.94m in 1966.
Tables and chairs set out for aperitifs bobbed along alleyways in the dark, as locals and tourists alike waved aloft inside-out umbrellas, the water slopping over the top of even the highest waders. Water taxis attempting to drop people off at hotels along the Grand Canal discovered gangways had been washed away, and had to help passengers clamber through windows.St Mark's Square is particularly affected by the high tides, as it is located in one of the lowest parts of the city. The vestibule of the basilica was inundated with water.
Most worryingly, Mr Campostrini said, three of those five episodes occurred in the last 20 years, most recently in 2018. Since 2003, a massive infrastructure project has been under way to protect the city, but it has been plagued by cost overruns, scandals and delays.