Sea levels in Venice plunge

Sea levels in the lagoon city of Venice plunged to a 14-year low this week, beaching some gondolas and exposing the canal-beds of famed waterways. The Centro Maree, whose forecasts are vital for organising transport in Venice, said a high-pressure...

Sea levels in the lagoon city of Venice plunged to a 14-year low this week, beaching some gondolas and exposing the canal-beds of famed waterways. The Centro Maree, whose forecasts are vital for organising transport in Venice, said a high-pressure system set off a "Code White" alert that signals low sea levels.

Canals slipped on Monday to 80 centimetres below average sea level, the lowest since 1994, and remained at "Code White" levels on Tuesday.

The lowest level ever recorded in Venice was 1.24 metres below in 1882, the Centro Maree said, citing historical research.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.