Venice was under water on Tuesday as heavy rain and strong winds pushed into the lagoon city, catching the authorities off guard before they could activate the huge flood barriers that were rolled out just two months ago.
The system of 78 flood gates, known as Mose, guard the entrance to the Venetian lagoon and are designed to protect the city from tides of up to 3 metres (10 ft). However, they require 48-hours notice to be activated.
Weather bulletins in past days had forecast rainfall pushing sea levels up to 120 centimetres, below the 130 cm threshold at which the flood barriers are operated.
Luigi Brugnaro, the city’s mayor, said on Twitter that the weather had suddenly worsened and water had reached a 145 cm peak as strong sirocco winds blew in from Croatia and two rivers flooded near the sea around Venice.
He called for more rapid and reactive protocols in the operation of Mose in order to face sudden weather changes.
16th June 2026
Caritas Italia assisted 282,539 people in 2025, equivalent to the same number of family units as its support is directed at the needs of entire households, according to its annual report...
16th June 2026
The European Parliament on Tuesday approved new rules aimed at strengthening the contractual position of farmers and helping to stabilise their incomes.
MEPs adopted the legislation b...
16th June 2026
Updated 1220
PN Casual Elections Bring New Faces and Parliamentary Returns: The Nationalist Party’s casual elections filled seven parliamentary seats vacated by candidates elected on ...
15th June 2026
Updated - 1200
Fiscal Council Warns Malta’s €900 Million Investment Target Faces Significant Risks: The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that the government’s planned €900 mil...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
16th June 2026
GO ENERGI is offering households the opportunity to take advantage of the Government’s current grants to support PV systems and battery storage through a range of solar energy solutions ...
12th June 2026
Malta Public Transport announces a number of network adjustments in connection with the introduction of its Summer Schedule, aimed at meeting seasonal passenger demand and improving serv...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
8th June 2026
The European Union has approved new rules aimed at tightening the screening of foreign investments in strategic sectors, marking a major shift in Europe’s approach towards economic secur...
16th June 2026
GO ENERGI is offering households the opportunity to take advantage of the Government’s current grants to support PV systems and battery storage through a range of solar energy solutions ...
12th June 2026
Malta Public Transport announces a number of network adjustments in connection with the introduction of its Summer Schedule, aimed at meeting seasonal passenger demand and improving serv...
15th June 2026
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Te...
10th June 2026
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said Tehran was responsible for the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait o...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
9th February 2026
María Corina Machado is a prominent figure in Venezuela’s opposition. She has reported that one of her closest associates, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was abducted. This occurred mere hours afte...
16th June 2026
Ukraine is accelerating reforms to align its banking and insurance sectors with EU standards by 2028 despite wartime challenges, to buttress investor confidence and deepen economic inte...
15th June 2026
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history whose golden domes have towered over the capital for almost a millennium, was set ablaze on Monda...