Tourists in Venice found themselves surrounded by more water than they bargained for on Wednesday, as the city faced severe flooding due to heavy rain and high tide.

58 per cent of the city, including famous landmarks such as St Peter's Basilica and St Mark's Square, was submerged by the floodwater that rose to 140 centimetres above sea level.

As well as the tourist hotspots, shops and dwellings in local areas have also been affected, in a case of flooding that the Italian Ansa news agency has labelled as 'exceptional'.

Written by Alfred Joyner