The Italian peninsula is facing an unusually early wave of heat accompanied by a lack of rainfall, especially in the agricultural plain of the Po, hit by its worst drought for 70 years.
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Italy has declared a state of emergency in five northern regions, Monday, July 4, and announced the release of a fund of 36.5 million euros to cope with the drought that has been affecting the Po plain for several weeks.
The Council of Ministers has approved the establishment of the state of emergency in Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Veneto and in Piedmont until December 31, the government announced in a press release.
The Italian peninsula is facing an unusually early wave of heat accompanied by a lack of rainfall, especially in the agricultural plain of the Po, hit by its worst drought for 70 years.
The state of emergency aims to grant “extraordinary means and powers” to ensure the implementation of the urgent interventions necessary to guarantee public security, the repair of damage suffered by public and private property and the normal living conditions of the population.
According to the largest agricultural union in the country, Coldiretti, the drought threatens more than 30% of national agricultural production and half of the farms in the Po plain, where Parma ham is produced in particular.
Lakes Maggiore and Lake Garda are showing water levels below normal for this time of year, while further south the level of the Tiber which flows through Rome has also dropped.