Hot temperatures and the worst drought in 70 years turned Italy’s longest river into more of a puddle. The Po river, which runs for over 650 kilometers across the north of the country, has been affected by a lack of winter snow followed by an extremely hot early summer.
The Italian government declared an emergency in some northern regions because a third of Italy’s agricultural production depends on water from the river.
The country is experiencing its hottest July since 1800, with temperatures expected to rise even more. The summer emergency comes after one of the driest winters in decades.
Copernicus satellite data recorded almost no rainfall in the region of Piedmont since December 2021 – only 40 millimeters instead of 160 millimeters up until February.
