Illustrative photo – The dry riverbed of Italy's Po River in Sermide on August 11, 2022.
Rome – Italy could face another exceptional drought this year similar to the one that plagued the country last summer, which was the worst drought in seven decades. The concern was caused by a dry winter with a lack of precipitation. This was reported by the Reuters agency today with reference to the Italian environmental organization Legambiente.
Advertisement'; }
This year, the Alps received half as much snow as the long-term average, the Legambiente organization said. She also pointed out that Italy's longest river, the Po, which originates in the Alps, now has 60 percent less water than is usual for this time of year. The organization has therefore turned today to the Italian government to develop a national water management strategy. Environmentalists are proposing various measures to reduce water consumption and better use of rainwater.
The level in Lake Garda has dropped to a record low level, which makes it possible, for example, to reach the islet of San Biagio on dry foot, where you usually sail by boat . Bloomberg also showed footage of nearly dry canals in Venice, which usually faces flooding at this time. According to the Bloomberg agency, however, the lack of water in the Venetian canals is caused by a combination of several factors, in addition to minor precipitation, also high pressure or sea currents.
“In the northwestern regions, we would need 50 days of rain,” said Italian climatologist Massimiliano Pasqui. .
Higher temperatures than are usual for this period are also experienced elsewhere in Europe. However, meteorologists are predicting precipitation and snowfall in the Alps in the coming days.
Last year in July, due to the long-lasting drought, the Italian government declared a state of emergency in several regions, especially in the north of the country. At that time, some cities limited water consumption, Venice or Milan, for example, did not water part of the fountains.
