Local authorities have warned that a tide of 125 to 130 centimetres is expected to hit the lagoon city at 10:45 pm.
Venice is also expected to be whipped by an icy “bora” wind, which is typically dry and very gusty due to its katabatic nature.
A second high tide is forecast for the weekend, and the MOSE flood barrier system may also have to be raised on Saturday and Sunday, authorities said.
MOSE has only been used a few times since first being raised in July of this year, but has already proven to be effective in preventing flooding and widespread damage across Venice’s historic centre.
The long-delayed system – made up of 78 yellow floodgates that rise to separate the Venetian lagoon from the sea – has already saved the city from high tides on two separate occasions in October.
The MOSE project was supposed to have been completed in 2019 but missed that target due to cost overruns, construction delays and corruption within the Italian government.
The government came under pressure to complete the project in November 2019, after Venice experienced its worst flooding in 50 years, with parts of the ancient city left under six feet of water, including the 925-year-old St. Mark’s Basilica.
A flooded St Mark’s Square in Venice, on November 15, 2019. (Photo: AAP)
The city was flooded several more times over the following days.
Venice gets flooded several times a year but of the 23 high tides to reach over 140 centimetres, 14 have occurred within the last two decades.
