As noted by Il Gazzettino, on Monday, February 20, the water level dropped 70 centimeters below normal. A number of channels became shallow, somewhere even a muddy bottom was exposed. The foundations of the houses and palaces of the Grand Canal, the deepest in Venice, become visible.
According to experts, a number of factors have led to this state of affairs. “We have been in a situation of water shortage which has been getting worse since the winter of 2020-2021,” said climatologist Massimiliano Paschi of the Italian research institute CNR, quoted by Corriere della Sera.In July last year, Italy faced the worst drought in 70 years and a state of emergency was declared in several regions. The consequences are still being felt. The Po River, the longest in the country, has 61% less water than usual at this time of year. According to Pasca, to restore the previous water level, it needs to rain for 50 days.In addition to the drought, the current situation in Venice was influenced by the high pressure, which covered a significant part of Europe. Additionally, some of the water retards the barrier, which was created to control flooding.It should be noted that winter drought is not uncommon, but it is usually not that severe. The situation was worse only in 1934, when the water level dropped by 121 centimeters, and in 1989, when a drop of 92 centimeters was recorded.
