ROME, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Waterbuses on Venice's Grand Canal are at risk of getting stuck in the mud this week as the city suffers from its annual bout of low tides, according to Italian News Agency ANSA.

The lagoon city tends to run dry for a week each winter, and on Monday tides were as much as 80 centimeters below normal.

This has resulted in the smaller canals drying up almost completely, exposing sludgy canal beds and leaving many of the city's picturesque gondolas stranded.

Venice periodically has lower tides than normal, usually during a drought or because of atmospheric pressure affecting water conditions.

The all-time record low was set in 1934, when the tide was 121 centimeters below average. Read More