水城威尼斯遇水災 遊客當街游泳

Nearly three quarters of Venice was flooded on Monday and tourists swam in St Mark's Square as a wave of bad weather swept through northern and central Italy, forcing the evacuation of 200 people from their homes in Tuscany.

Shops, homes and historic palaces filled with water in Venice and authorities said 70 percent of the lagoon city was flooded.

High water in Venice reached 149 cm (5ft), the sixth highest level since records began in 1872, forcing residents to wade through waist-deep water. Tourists in swimming costumes sat at cafe tables under the water.

There was no immediate estimate of damage to the beautiful northeastern city.

In Tuscany, 23 centimetres (9 inches) of rain fell in four hours, causing the Ricortola and Parmignola rivers to flood, according to the regional government.

"It has been devastating," said Roberto Pucci, the mayor of Massa Carrara in Tuscany, one of the worst hit areas.

"I saw at least six bridges destroyed in the hills, floods, landslides, vineyards and olive groves swept away. If there hasn't been a death it's a miracle," he told Corriere della Sera newspaper.

Local media said dozens of people took refuge on their roofs after rivers burst their banks in central Italy.

Environment Minister Corrado Clini called for more funding to shore up Italy's weather defences. Bad weather with torrential rain was due to continue through Tuesday, forecasters said.

It was the fourth time since 2000 that Venice had been hit by record high water, and the city's environment officer said the latest flooding was the result of global climate change.

A barrier to protect the city from repeated winter flooding, which has been planned for decades, is due to be finished by 2015.由於意大利北部和中部地區遭遇惡劣天氣，本週一威尼斯四分之三的地區遭遇水災，遊客在聖馬丁廣場游泳，托斯卡納區也有近200人離家疏散。

威尼斯的商店、住宅和歷史遺蹟都被淹沒，當局表示，“水城”的70%被淹。

威尼斯的水位達到149釐米（5英尺），是自1872年有歷史記錄以來的第六高水位。居民被迫在齊腰的深水中前行。遊客則身穿泳衣在被淹沒的咖啡桌前坐下。

目前還沒有有關這座意大利東北部美麗水城所受損失的直接估計。

當地政府表示，托斯卡納區4小時降水量達到23釐米（9英寸），導致Ricortola 和Parmignola河水溢出。

托斯卡納市長馬薩-卡拉拉說：“這造成了嚴重影響。”托斯卡納區是受災最嚴重的地區之一。

他告訴《意大利晚郵報》：“我知道至少有六座丘陵地帶的橋樑在洪水和滑坡的夾擊下垮塌，葡萄園和橄欖林也被沖毀。如果沒有人員傷亡那簡直是個奇蹟。”

當地媒體表示，意大利中部的河流垮堤後，有幾十人在屋頂避難。

環境部長科拉多-克里尼呼籲籌措更多資金來加固意大利的氣候防禦工程。天氣預報員表示，強降雨等惡劣天氣會持續到週二。

自2000年來，這是威尼斯第4次遭遇有史以來的高水位。當地環境官員表示，近期的水災都是全球氣候變化所致。

用來保護該市免於屢次受到冬季水災困擾的防洪工程已經計劃了幾十年，將於2015年修建完成。