ROME (Reuters) - Floods in the floating Italian city of Venice renewed on Sunday amid fears of a further rise in water levels that could threaten its historic buildings.
The Venice Tide Forecasting Center had warned of a tsunami on Sunday with a water level of 160 cm, and by noon the water level was close to that level.
This follows two tsunami cases last week, the worst week since the tsunami began to be recorded in 1872.
Hotels, museums, shops and churches have swept the city's UNESCO World Heritage City, which is visited by 36 million tourists a year, covering about 80% of the city.
The mayor of Venice, Luigi Bruniaro, estimated the damage at around one billion euros, after declaring a state of emergency.
The authorities in the cities of Florence and Pisa are monitoring the river "Arno", where the water level rose rapidly due to heavy rain. Authorities are also monitoring the "Po" river - the longest in Italy and flowing through the north of the country through Turin - after increasing its level by 1.5 meters due to heavy rain.