Minutes after right-wing members of Venice’s Venito council rejected measures designed to combat climate change, the council chamber was flooded by historic high tides from the city’s Grand Canal.

The city has seen the worst flooding in 50 years, with water levels peaking at 1.87 metres (6 feet) – the second highest tide in the Unesco World Heritage site in recorded history.

Five of the highest tides have now occurred in the past 20 years, with the most recent being just last year.

The city’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, described the latest flooding as a “direct result of climate change”.

The council chamber where the measures were being debated in Ferro Fini Palace started to take in water around 10pm local time, as councillors were debating the 2020 regional budget, Democratic Party councillor and deputy chairman of the environment committee Andrea Zanoni wrote in a Facebook post.

“Ironically the room flooded two minutes after the majority League, Brothers of Italy and Forza Italia had rejected our amendments to counter climate change,” he said.

Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years Show all 15 1 /15 Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years epa07992303 A view of a ferry stranded on the docks following bad weather in Venice, northern Italy, 13 November 2019. A wave of bad weather has hit much of Italy on 12 November. Levels of 100-120cm above sea level are fairly common in the lagoon city and Venice is well-equipped to cope with its rafts of pontoon walkways. EPA/ANDREA MEROLA ANDREA MEROLA EPA Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A man stands in the flooded St Mark's Square ANSA via AP Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years The flooded crypt of St Mark's Basilica is pictured during an exceptionally high water levels in Venice, Italy November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri MANUEL SILVESTRI Reuters Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A stranded ferry boat is seen in the background as people gather to watch and clean up after a high tide, in Venice, Italy, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. The high-water mark hit 187 centimeters (74 inches) late Tuesday, meaning more than 85% of the city was flooded. The highest level ever recorded was 198 centimeters (78 inches) during infamous flooding in 1966. (Andrea Merola/ANSA via AP) Andrea Merola AP Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A room in the flooded Gritti Palace AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years People and tourists carry their luggage through a flooded street after an exceptional overnight "Alta Acqua" high tide water level, early on November 13, 2019 in Venice. - Powerful rainstorms hit Italy on November 12, with the worst affected areas in the south and Venice, where there was widespread flooding. Within a cyclone that threatens the country, exceptional high water were rising in Venice, with the sirocco winds blowing northwards from the Adriatic sea against the lagoons outlets and preventing the water from flowing back into the sea. At 22:40pm the tide reached 183 cm, the second measure in history after the 198 cm of the 1966 flood. (Photo by Marco Bertorello / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images) MARCO BERTORELLO AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A man takes photos from the flooded St. Mark's Square after an exceptional overnight "Alta Acqua" high tide water level, early on November 13, 2019 in Venice. - Powerful rainstorms hit Italy on November 12, with the worst affected areas in the south and Venice, where there was widespread flooding. Within a cyclone that threatens the country, exceptional high water were rising in Venice, with the sirocco winds blowing northwards from the Adriatic sea against the lagoons outlets and preventing the water from flowing back into the sea. At 22:40pm the tide reached 183 cm, the second measure in history after the 198 cm of the 1966 flood. (Photo by Marco Bertorello / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images) MARCO BERTORELLO AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A flooded shop during a night of exceptional high water Reuters Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years People walk across the flooded St Mark's Square past St Mark's Basilica AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years People use a makeshift footbridge to exit a flooded hotel AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A stranded ferry boat is seen by the docks in Venice ANSA via AP Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A man walks across the flooded St Mark's Square past St Mark's Basilica and the Bell Tower AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A shop owner clears his flooded premises AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years The flooded Riva degli Schiavoni embankment with the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica in background AFP via Getty Venice flooding in pictures: City hit by highest tide in 50 years A water taxi transported by the water into a street Reuters

He added that the council was “proposing funding for renewable sources, for electric columns, for the replacement of diesel buses with others more efficient and less polluting for the scrapping of stoves, to finance the pacts of mayors for sustainable energy and climate change, and to reduce the impact of plastic, etc”.

But as the debate continued, ​“all furnishings, rugs, chairs and in particular many electrical appliances such as sockets ... were underwater”.

Mr Zanoni said the high tide was “due to many factors including climate change, with sea level rise due to the dissolution of glaciers from the overheating world”.

He also accused the Veneto regional president, Luca Zaia, a member of Matteo Salvini’s far-right League Party, of presenting a “budget that does not contain any concrete action to counteract climate change”.

The flooding has left large parts of Venice underwater this week.

With more severe flooding expected throughout Friday, St Mark’s Square has been closed as a precaution.