The summer in Italy was brutal, with a prolonged heat wave that was called Lucifero, or Lucifer. Now, the winter has come in, and it has been brutal, based on a cyclic wind pattern called the Bora. Naples and the Amalfi Coast were the hardest hit, with evacuations, Bologna has mudslide and flood warnings.
In Venice, they are having the highest aqua alta in the last four years. I was there at the one four years ago, and have been through them many times. The one four years ago peaked at around 1-2 AM. I set the alarm to go out there. Although you can't see where the sidewalk ends and the canal begins, and if you are not careful, you can walk into a canal. There are boots that you can buy called Wellies. They let you walk freely in the aqua alta. They come up to your knees, and let you walk around in it, and not have to walk on the passarelle, those picnic like tables that are connected end to end to walk on, and that don't go everywhere.
However, it is a bad idea to tell a Venetian that you like Aqua Alta. It's like saying you like cruise ships, or that you stay at an AirBnb. I made that mistake this summer. I was having lunch with some friends when I mentioned that I like it. I got some severe stares. One of them said, "My friend has a gelato shop. The water came into the shop and into her gelato cooler, and shorted out the condenser. She lost all her ice cream." Each of them told me stories of what a burden it is to them. When you are there, it doesn't seem to bother them, but under the surface they don't like it.
One group that is particularly effected are the gondoliers. Venice is full of bridges in the small canals. I've had to do the "limbo" when in my kayak, going under a bridge, when there is hardly any clearance. This fascinating video of a gondolier making his way under a bridge during the remnants of aqua alta when the water was still high, is fascinating. It led to applause from the crowd watching when he finally did it.
http://video.gelocal.it/nuovavenezia...ref=hfnvveer-2