With no snow in the Alps and no water in Venice, Italy faces a fresh drought warning

AC-. Italy concerns Another strong drought After weeks of dry northern winter where The Alps received less than half of the usual snowfall and the Venetian canals suffered unusually low tides Gondolas, water taxis and ambulances were banned from navigating some of its popular canals.

According to scientists and environmental groups, Italy could face another drought after last summer’s state of emergency. In July, Italy announced Emergency As for the regions around the Po, which account for about a third of the country’s agricultural production and have suffered the worst drought in 70 years.

Last summer, Italy suffered its worst drought in the past 70 years. The waters of Lake Garda have receded, leaving the lake without waterMiguel Medina – AFP

On Monday, the environmental organization Legambiente announced that Italian rivers and lakes are experiencing an acute shortage of water, with attention focused on the north of the country. fatherthe longest river in Italy, extending from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic Sea, It contains 61% less water than normal for this time of yearHe added in a statement.

“We are in a state of water deficit that has accumulated since the winter of 2020-2021,” the climate expert said. Massimiliano Pascoe From the Italian Scientific Research Institute CNR, citing Corriere della Sera.

We need to restore 500 mm in the northwest: we need 50 days of rain“, he added.

water level of lake garda in northern italy, It fell to its lowest levels everwhich made it possible to reach the small island of San Biagio via an open track.

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The problems in Venice have been attributed to a combination of factors: Lack of rain, high pressure system, moon and ocean currents.

In the dead of winter, the pictures of Venice are striking: the inner canals turned into muddy streets, boats at anchor, the ancient foundations of buildings visible, even along the Grand Canal.. Venice had been dealing for several days with low tide caused by the opposite tidal phenomenon, which also began to create serious problems for navigation..

A small boat lies at the bottom of an inland channel during low tide in Venice, Italy, on February 17, 2023. Venice had been struggling for several days with low tide, which was beginning to create serious problems for navigation as well. . Andrea Merola – EPA/ANSA

They explained from the municipality’s Tide Prediction Center that the exceptionality of this phenomenon does not lie in the sub-zero measurements of the tides reaching the lake (-60 cm in recent days, -56 cm today). in its duration. Low water should continue for the next few days as well, at least through Tuesday.

The city is more accustomed to flooding from high tide than from lack of water. but, This isn’t the first time the water levels have dropped so dramatically: In 2018, they reached about 60 cm below the normal level, but before that, in 2016, the water level decreased by 66 cm, while in 1989 and 2008 the water level decreased by 90 cm.

The lack of rain in some areas of southern Europe is a cause for concern Grain crops before the spring seasonThey have largely avoided frost damage so far this winter, the European Union’s Crop Monitoring Service said on Monday.

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Europe suffered from a severe drought last summer and the dry weather in January is worrying countries like Italy Water reserves will not recover this year. Depending on the service Mars from the European Union, Winter cereal and oilseed crops remain in reasonable condition in most parts of Europeat a time when cooling temperatures, after an exceptionally warm turn of the year, contributed to the plants’ robustness.

But the significant lack of precipitation in some regions of Spain and Italy raised doubts. “Water levels in reservoirs remain alarmingly low in central and southern Spain,” MARS said in a monthly report. “In Italy, a large precipitation deficit is observed in the northwestern regions, where soil moisture conditions have not yet recovered from last year’s drought.”.

Reuters

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