Venice’s canals are drying up amid fears of a new drought in Italy

(CNN) – Weeks of dry winter weather have raised concerns that Italy could face Another drought In the aftermath of an emergency last summer, in which the Alps had less than half the snowfall, according to scientists and environmental groups.

The warnings come as Venice – where flooding is often the main concern – faces unusually low tides making it impossible for gondolas, water taxis and ambulances to navigate some of its famous canals.

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

Environmental organization Legambiente said on Monday that Italy’s rivers and lakes were suffering from a serious water shortage, and that particular attention should be paid to the north of the country.

She added in a statement that the Po River, the longest river in Italy that runs from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic Sea, contains 61% less water than normal at this time of year.

Last July, Italy declared a state of emergency for the regions around the Po, which account for about a third of the country’s agricultural production, as they suffered their worst drought in 70 years.

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

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

Water levels in Lake Garda in northern Italy have fallen to record levels, making it possible to reach the lake’s small island of San Biagio by land route.

A severe typhoon has characterized the weather in Western Europe for the past 15 days, bringing only the normally mild temperatures of late spring.

However, the latest weather forecast indicates that much-needed rain and snow will arrive in the Alps in the coming days.