The canals of Venice are drying up due to drought and low tide

• Canals in Venice have been reduced to a trickle due to drought and low tide, Reuters reported.
• Photos show sunken water taxis and low-lying gondolas at the bottom of canals.
• Normally, Venice faces the opposite problem, having braved historic flooding in 2019.

Unusually low tides and drought conditions in Italy have resulted in canals in the famously water-rich city of Venice almost drying up, Reuters reported.

A series of photos of the city on Friday show some smaller canals with just a trickle of water, grounding the city’s famous gondolas and water taxis and recently revealing the foundations of buildings.

In the larger canals that serve as the city’s main “highways”, muddy steps that are usually underwater are now visible, with the footings of wooden guideposts.

Water ambulances, which form part of the city’s emergency services, were also unable to access some routes, Reuters reported.

Normally, Venice has to protect itself against the opposite problem: flooding, as seen in 2019 when the water in the “floating city” rose to its highest level in 50 years.

Several issues are being blamed for the current unusually dry conditions, including low tides, ocean currents and a full moon, Reuters reported.

It also comes as the environmental group Legambiente sounded the alarm over prolonged drought conditions in northern Italy.

According to the group, the Alps received 53% less snow over the winter, while the Po River – which serves much of northern Italy – had 61% less water than usual.

Italy declared a state of emergency in the agricultural areas served by the Po River last year.