Italy's Garda Lake shrinks due to drought

Italy's Garda Lake shrinks due to drought

Italy's worst drought has caused the country's largest Lake Garda to reach its lowest water level in decades. As a result, underwater rocks became visible and the water temperature warmed to the average temperature of the Caribbean Sea.

Garda Lake

Northern Italy has received very little rainfall for months, and snowfall has decreased by 70% in

2022, drying up important rivers such as the Po, which flow through Italy's agricultural and industrial region. The dry condition of Italy's longest river, the Po, caused billions of euros in damage to farmers who usually are dependent on it to irrigate their fields and paddy.

Officials allowed more water from Lake Garda to flow into local rivers to make up for the loss, but at the end of July 2022, they reduced the amount for the lake and its associated economically important tourism. With a large amount of water diverted to the rivers, the lake came to its lowest level.