The Italian lagoon city of Venice in the Adriatic has suffered its highest flooding in more than 20 years.
Driven by high winds, the sea level rose 1.56m above normal, forcing residents and tourists to wade through almost knee-high water.
Raised wooden walkways had to be installed in St Mark's Square - the lowest point in the city - which was nearly one metre under water at one point.
But the waters rose so quickly that some tourists were forced to improvise.
Sirens and loudspeaker announcements reinforced the flood alert, amid fears that the sea level could rise even higher.
Many shops and ground floor flats were affected in the city, which is built on a series of small islands.
The situation was also complicated by a strike affecting the famous "vaporetto" water buses.
But Venice's worst flooding since 1986 was short lived, and began to subside after a change in the wind direction.
Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7758831.stm
