Venice underwater for the second year in a row!

Venice, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, is once again in the spotlight. This time not because of the record number of visitors, but because of record flooding. Three quarters of the city is underwater.

At the famous St. Mark’s Square the water was knee-deep, and St. Mark’s Church flooded for the sixth time in its 1,200-year history. Of these, four floods have ravaged her in the last 20 years! How is this possible?

Severe flooding is a direct consequence of climate change, said Venetian Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. The flood water, which reached 1.87 meters high, will leave a lasting mark in the city, he wrote on Twitter.

The high water in Venice is blamed on a combination of the high tide and storms from the south, meteorologists explain. Yesterday was the second highest recorded in city history. Venice was also flooded last year.

Although no one event can be linked to climate change, increasing floods are a cause for concern. Venice is particularly in shock as it sinks while the world’s sea level rises.

The sea also flooded Koper, Izola and Piran on Tuesday night. Unofficially, this is supposed to be the second highest tide in the last 50 years.

Severe storms also raged in Croatian Istria and Dalmatia. A record wave 10.87 meters high was measured in Dubrovnik.

In Australia, however, 150 fires have been burning since last Friday.

Fires in the Australian outback, called bush fires, are a common nuisance at this time of year. But because of the hotter and drier climate, they are becoming more and more frequent and stronger.

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The original version of this article was published on November 14th.

English translation courtesy of JL Flanner, Total Slovenia News, an English language website with news from and about Slovenia.