An unprecedent dry spout has left the River Po in Italy looking very sandy, as the reduction in water has made large sandbanks visible along the normally lush river.
The River Po, Italy’s longest river, which spans more than 400 miles across the country’s north from west to east, is experiencing the worst drought in 70 years. The unprecedent dry spout has left the river looking very sandy, as the reduction in water has made large sandbanks visible along the normally lush river.
The reduction has also revealed a bomb from World War II.
Lack of snow over the winter and an early, hot summer have caused these conditions and Italy has declared a state of emergency.
Officials say a third of the country’s agriculture producers surround the river.
When at normal levels, the river flows through verdant landscape lined with farms and rice paddies.
Now reports say farmers worry their harvests could be damaged for years as many of their paddies have dried up or become too salty because of the use of aquifers.
All they can do is hope that rain – and a lot of it – falls soon.
