The present study deals with the application of a physical mathematical model of the Adriatic Sea to the problem of predicting the sea level variations at Venice. The equations of motion are considered. Taking into account the peculiar topography of the region, a unidimensional model of the Adriatic Sea is formulated. The conditions for the computation stability are determined; a first test of the model is carried out by computing the variation in time of some fundamental quantities like the mass and energy of the basin. Thereafter, the main effects due to the geometry of the basin are studied by using ideal ‘wind quanta’. Agreement is found between the results of the model and those obtained by means of classical hydrodynamics. Applications of the model to actual cases of sea level rise at Venice follow. Finally, on the basis of a critical analysis of the results, some considerations on the predictability of the phenomenon and on the requirements of the predicted meteorological fields are offered.