(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> <br />Heavy rains and snow continued to batter northern Italy late on Monday (February 11) with an icy-watery slush flooding St. Mark's Square in Venice.<br/> <br />Ice chunks floated along the top of submerged waterways and local residents and tourists donned rubber boots to have a look at the exceptional weather.<br/> <br />The almost non-stop rainfall caused sea levels to reach an exceptional high for this time of year, approximately 1.43 metres above the usual sea level.<br/> <br />Despite the high water level, locals were relieved. Officials had warned of a 1.60 m high level which would have led to 60 percent of Venice being under water.
