Shipwreck on the bottom of the river was discovered due to a record drought

World War II shipwrecks revealed on the Po River in Italy.

The nearly 50-meter-long vessel, called the Zibello, was used to transport timber during World War II before it was wrecked in 1943. Much of the ship was submerged in the Po River decades later and here This is the first time it has revealed so much on the water, AP reported on June 17.

The Po River stretches for more than 640km, originates in the Cottian Alps and empties into the Adriatic Sea. This is the longest river in Italy but is facing an unprecedented drought in 70 years, causing alarmingly low water levels.

"In recent years you can see the bow of the boat, so we know it's there. The hull started to show in March, when it was still winter. I've never seen such a drought. So at this time of year. Our main worry before was the flood, but now we're worried it will go away," resident Alessio Bonin shared.

A man walks in the riverbed of the Po River in Boretto, Italy on June 15.

One of the main causes of drought is climate change. The AP reports that northern Italy hasn't seen rain in more than 110 days, snowfall has dropped 70 percent this year and above-average temperatures are melting snow and ice in the surrounding Alps, robbing some of the water. significantly in reservoirs in the Po river basin in summer.

Meuccio Berselli, Secretary General of the Po River Basin Authority, told the AP that river discharge used to reach 476,000 gallons per second, but now it's down to just 80,000 gallons per second.

Drought also threatens the supply of drinking water, irrigation water for agriculture in Italy's most intensive farming region and affects the productivity of hydroelectric plants.