Gondolas were left in muddy sea beds as Venice's iconic canals and lagoons ran dry last week for the second year in a row. The water hit a record low tide, leaving the famously water-logged Italian city almost entirely without water.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Tourists expecting to ride gondolas were left disappointed. Abnormal tides combined with drastically reduced rainfall across northeastern Italy led to the exceptionally low water levels. Last year, the event was reported as a "freak" incident by NBC News, and although low tides are common this time of year, last week's tides were about 27.5 inches below average.

(MORE: Venice's 'Acqua Alta' Makes for a Messy Autumn Vacation)

Venice's issues are usually quite the opposite. The city deals with major flooding throughout much of the year, and has been believed to be sinking into the sea for centuries. The city has battled flooding and sinking since its founding 1,600 years ago, Spiegel Online reported.

MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: The Community Left Behind on Dried Up Lake Urmia