AKIPRESS.COM - Much of the Italian lagoon city of Venice was engulfed with water after high tides and strong winds caused the most severe flooding for at least a decade, CNN reports.

The city, famous for its canals and gondolas and beautiful palaces and churches, is frequently overwhelmed by water in the period from October to December, but Monday's flooding was particularly heavy.

The water rose 160 centimeters (5 feet 3 inches) above sea level at high tide, meaning that at least 77% of the city was under water. If the tide levels are verified, the reading will be the highest since December 1979. The highest ever recorded was 194 cm in November 1966.

Monday's high tides were caused by a low-pressure weather system over northern Italy that brought strong winds from south to north, pushing water into Venice.

Tourists and residents trudged waist-high through the water, while shops and restaurants were inundated as barriers placed across doorways failed to hold back the rising tide. Shopkeepers used buckets to remove water from their premises.

Flooding at high tide has become much more common in Venice because of climate change — a problem that will continue to worsen as seas rise thanks to increasing temperatures and melting ice sheets.