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大风和强降雨在过去24小时内“光临”了意大利，该国东北部历史名城威尼斯包括圣马可广场在内的部分城区被突然升高的海平面淹没。
据法新社12月3日报道，威尼斯市洪水防范部门透露，截至3日晚上，威尼斯泻湖的水面已经比正常情况下上涨了1.32米。圣马可广场积水深达20厘米，稀少的游人纷纷用塑料袋把脚裹起来。天气预报说，星期天水平面将下降，但下周二当地天气可能再度转坏。
闻名于世的水城威尼斯是由威尼斯泻湖中央大大小小的岛屿组成的。每年这时候，亚得里亚海的海水都会在大风和潮汐的作用下将泻湖水平面抬高。著名的圣马可广场每年要遭受100多次洪水袭击。
报道说，意大利政府正准备在威尼斯泻湖入口处修建防洪屏障，以防止1966年洪水灾难重演。当时，两米深的洪水将该市完全淹没。该防洪工程可能到2011年才能完工。
另据报道，在意大利西北部港市斯培西亚，风暴使一艘散装货轮撞上了防波堤，船身被撞开口造成数千升燃料泄漏。
A steep rise in sea levels swamped part of the historic lagooon city of Venice amid storms and heavy rains that have beaten down on Italy over the past 24 hours.
On the other side of the peninsula, at La Spezia, a storm slammed a bulk carrier against a jetty, holing it and dumping thousands of litres of fuel into the harbor, the Italian news agency ANSA said.
Venice was hit by a common seasonal phenomenon as winds and tides backed up the Adriatic waters, causing levels in the lagoon to rise.
According to the city's flood center, the water rose 1.32 meters (four foot four inches) above normal sea level.
In Saint Mark's Square, which was covered by about 20 centimeters of water, the rare tourists covered their shoes with plastic bags.
Forecasters said the water level was expected to decline Sunday, but warned the weather would turn for the worse again on Tuesday.
The government is building a system of barriers at the entrance to the lagoon to prevent a repetition of the catastrophic 1966 flood that saw the Renaissance canal city submered under two meters of water.
But the barrage, consisting of 78 hinged barriers resting on the sea flood, is not expected to be finished before 2011.
In La Spezia, authorities were concerned about pollution after the Georgia-registered bulk cement carrier Margaret dragged its anchor in high winds, hit a pier and sank in about 10 meters of water just off the commercial port.
Several anti-pollution vessels were quickly on the scene and others were to arrive on Sunday, said Environment Miniser Altero Matteoli.
"The situation is for the moment under control, our vigilance is at maximum level and anti-pollution measures were rapidly activated," he added.
All 13 crew members aboard the ship were reported safe. Some threw themselves into the sea as the ship began to list while others were lifted off by helicopter and coast guard vessels.
Police said the chief engineer aboard the ship reported that it was carrying some 85,000 liters of fuel, and not 13,000 as earlier reported by ANSA.
The 84-meter (275-foot) Margaret sought refuge at La Spezia when it was caught by the storm as it was travelling from Genoa to the Bulgarian port of Varna, officials said.
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