'Acqua alta' floods Venice

VENICE, Italy, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Much of Venice, Italy, including St. Mark's Square, has been flooded by waters rising more than 4 feet above normal, officials said.

The Venetian "acqua alta" (or "high water") swamped the city Monday, with as much as 43 percent of the lagoon city's surface below water, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Meteorologists said the phenomenon was set to return with Monday's evening high tide and last the rest of the week, with water levels expected to top out at 3.8 feet above normal. But, they warned, with heavy rains in December, Venetian water levels could be pushed to nearly 5 feet above average.

ANSA said the record acqua alta for Venice came in 1966 when flood waters rose to 6.4 feet above normal, causing huge amounts of damage.