Tourist destination Venice has called or a state of emergency after it was hit by the worst floods in more than 50 years. Picture: Twitter/Luigi Brugnaro.

Tourist destination Venice has called or a state of emergency after it was hit by the worst floods in more than 50 years, CNN reported on Wednesday. 

Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea.

The destination was struck by a high tide on Tuesday night, which peaked at 187 centimeters, the worst flooding in Venice since 1966 when the city was hit by tides up to 194cm high, according to government statistics.

According to the Tide Forecasting and Reporting Center of Civil Protection, around 45 percent of the city was flooded by Tuesday. 

CNN reported that 30 volunteers will be deployed on Wednesday to help with the clean-up. 

St Mark's Square in front of the famous Basilica and Gritti Palace luxury hotel were some of the places affected. 

WATCH: Floods in Venice

According to BBC, two people died on the island of Pellestrina, a man was electrocuted as he tried to start a pump in his home, and another was found dead elsewhere. 

Many shops were also affected by high tides. 

Venice's mayor Luigi Brugnaro took to Twitter on Tuesday stating that climate change was one of the contributing factors for the tides. 

He tweeted “Even today, facing tides that mark negative records. Tomorrow we will declare a state of calamity. We ask the # Government to help us, the costs will be high. These are the effects of climate change. The Mose must be finished soon. Tomorrow schools closed in Venice and islands.”

He said this morning on Twitter: “Venice is on its knees. The Basilica of San Marco has suffered serious damage as the entire city and the islands.

We are here with Patriarch Moraglia to bring our support but we need everyone's help to overcome these days that are putting us to the test.” 

* Brugnaro’s tweets were translated.