See what dry canals look like in Venice 1:04
(CNN) --
Weeks of dry winter weather have raised concerns that Italy could face another drought following last summer's emergency, as the Alps saw less than half their normal snowfall, according to scientists and environmental groups.
The warnings come at a time when Venice — where flooding is often the main concern — is facing unusually low tides that make it impossible for gondolas, water taxis and ambulances to navigate some of its famous canals.
The problems in Venice are attributed to a combination of factors, including a lack of rain, a high pressure system, a full moon and ocean currents.
Italian rivers and lakes suffer from a serious lack of water, the environmental group Legambiente said on Monday, and special attention must be paid to the north of the country.
Tourists were expelled from Venice for surfing in the Grand Canal
The Po, Italy's longest river running from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic, has 61% less water than normal at this time of year, it added in a statement.
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Last July, Italy declared a state of emergency for the areas surrounding the Po, which accounts for about a third of the country's agricultural output, as it suffered its worst drought in 70 years.
“We are in a situation of water deficit that has been accumulating since the winter of 2020-2021,” said climate expert Massimiliano Pasqui, from the Italian institute for scientific research CNR, quoted by the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
Many gondolas cannot circulate due to the little water in the canals of Venice.
"We need to recover 500 millimeters in the northwestern regions: we need 50 days of rain," he added.
Water levels in Lake Garda in northern Italy have fallen to record lows, making it possible to reach the small island of San Biagio in the lake via a land road.
A high cyclone has marked the weather in Western Europe for the past 15 days, bringing mild temperatures normally seen only in late spring.
However, the latest weather forecasts point to the arrival of much-needed precipitation and snow in the Alps in the coming days.
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