Heat wave deepens drought across northern, central Italy

A new heat wave is worsening drought conditions across northern and central Italy, with the northwestern Piedmont region among the hardest hit, broadcaster Sky TG24 reported Wednesday.

The crisis is most severe in the Po River basin, where water flows have fallen by an average of 65%, with some areas recording declines of up to 80%, according to environmental authorities.

In Isola Sant'Antonio, in the province of Alessandria, the Po River's flow has dropped by about 75%.

A regional water crisis task force said rainfall across the Po basin in June was 36% below the 1991-2020 average, while temperatures were 3.5 degrees Celsius above normal.

The combination of below-average rainfall and extreme heat has reduced surface water resources by up to 37%, with conditions deteriorating further in July as several monitored areas recorded declines in water availability of around 40%.

The National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) warned that the summer of 2026 is showing an unusual pattern, with drought risks concentrated mainly in northern and central Italy, particularly in the Po River basin.

The drought is also threatening agricultural production, especially in the Veneto region, where water authorities have introduced emergency irrigation schedules.

In the Po Delta, falling river levels have increased the risk of seawater intrusion, threatening farmland and crops.

The crisis has also spread to parts of Emilia-Romagna and the Po Valley, where tributaries feeding Italy's longest river have fallen to critically low levels.

Farmers' association Coldiretti warned that water shortages could reduce forage supplies and lead to significant losses in corn and grain production.

Conditions are also worsening in Lombardy, where available water resources have fallen by more than one-third.