Venice acqua alta at near-record levels

(ANSA) - Venice, April 5 - Acqua alta hit near-record levels in Venice after heavy rain Friday, local sources said. The water level reached 134 centimeters above sea level, the second highest April level after 147 cm in April 1936.
    The high water meant that 50% of Venice was under water.
    Levels of 100-120 cm above sea level are fairly common in the lagoon city and Venice is well-equipped to cope with its rafts of pontoon walkways.
    But anything much above 120cm risks swamping the city and washing the walkways away.
    The high-water threat has been increasing in recent years as heavier rains have hit northern Italy, weather experts say.
    Scientists have conceived various ways of warding off the waters since a dramatic 1966 flood, and a system of moveable flood barriers called MOSE is being installed after years of rows.
    Experts say there are three main reasons for high water in the city: the rising floor in the lagoon caused by incoming silt; the undermining of the islands by the extraction of methane gas in the sea off Venice; and the overall increase in sea levels caused by global warming.