Severe Drought Causing Ruins of Ancient Roman Bridge Built Under Nero's Reign to Reemerge From Tiber

In July, water levels in the Tiber dropped to 1.12 meters, while the river is usually between 4 and 5.5 meters deep.

An ancient bridge built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero has recently emerged from the waters of the Tiber River that usually conceal it, Libero Tecnologia reports.

According to the media outlet, the bridge, whose construction was actually ordered by Nero’s predecessor Caligula, was demolished in 500 AD in order to prevent the Goths from entering and plundering the city, and the remains of the structure have since rested beneath the flowing waters of the Tiber, only reemerging on rare occasions when water level in the river falls “too low.”

The development, Libero Tecnologia warns, is actually a worrisome sign, as Rome and the entirety of Lazio are “on drought alarm,” and the water level in the Tiber had dropped by six centimeters in six days, reaching a state that has only been “seen a few times before.”

Namely, the depth of the Tiber dropped to 1.12 meters this month, while normally it should be between 4 and 5.5 meters.

The situation has occurred amid a lack of rainfall in Rome – the media outlet states that it hasn’t rained there for over a month.

Meanwhile, Nicola Zingaretti, the president of Lazio, reportedly declared a “state of natural disaster,” with local residents and companies being advised not to waste water.