Drought threatens northern Italy crops as heatwave grips Europe

The country’s longest river, the Po, is experiencing its worst drought for 70 years

Emergency irrigation measures are being called for to save crops (AP)

Northern Italian regions risk losing up to half their agricultural output due to a drought, a farm lobby has warned, as Europe is gripped by sweltering temperatures.

The country’s longest river, the Po, is experiencing its worst drought for 70 years, leaving large sections of the northern waterway completely dried up, jeopardising irrigation.

Rivers and lakes in central Italy were also lower than normal for this time of the year and the crisis was highlighting “the consequences of climate change on the peninsula”, said the ANBI, who manage water supply for irrigation in the country.