Venice, Italy battles flooding as storms hit hard across northern Italy

The lagoon city of Venice continues to suffer from high waters which reached five feet above sea level on Sunday after continuous rain pounded many regions of Italy over the weekend.

Some 70 percent of the city was reportedly covered by the flood waters and proved a bizarre spectacle for tourists on the massive Concordia cruise ship as it sailed past the city on Sunday.

Tourists could be seen wading through almost waist-deep water, desperately trying to keep themselves and their belongings dry.

Many shops, houses and other buildings have been flooded and remain closed.

While the canal city is used to the high waters, they are putting the foundations under heavy stress.

According to Ansa news agency this is the sixth flood of this magnitude in the history of Venice since 1872.

Contains footage from Reuters

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