Venice: Canals almost dry up due to exceptionally low tide, see pictures

Some sections of the famous canals of Venice have nearly dried up as the low tide took the water out of the waterways. Boats and gandolas have been beached and could be seen sitting on muddy banks, reported the Independent. The water levels in the canals have come down to -48 cm creating an unusual landscape in the Lagoon city. Lagoon city was also hit by floods a few months back.

Canals dry up in Venice

Venice is known for its canals around the world. Its historic architecture and art have lived in a fragile balance between low and high tides. Flooding is a concern in the city as the city is built on small islands within a saltwater lagoon off the north-eastern coast of Italy, with every new incursion damaging its medieval and Renaissance palaces. There are many causes of flooding and climate change being one of them.

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In December, high tides flooded St. Mark’s Square in Venice, propelled by winds that were stronger than predicted, and an experimental system of inflatable barriers wasn’t activated to prevent water from invading the lagoon city. Some shops were flooded, and Venetians waded in water as they scrambled to set out raised walkways. “Unfortunately, the weather is freer than us. It does what it wants,” Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said ruefully, referring to the stronger-than-expected winds that whipped across the Adriatic from Croatia’s coastline. Damage to shops and other business was destined to compound the suffering already sharply felt in Venice’s economy by tourism largely washed away by the pandemic. In December 2019, Venice experienced its worst flooding in more than 50 years when the water reached 187 cm in the city. More than 85 per cent of the canal city was submerged and St Mark’s Basilica was flooded for only the sixth time in 1,200 years. 

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Inputs from AP