The cabinet approved a state of emergency in five regions – Friuli-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto – until December 31, the government said in a statement that also announced funding of 36.5 million euros (33.8 million £) help those affected. Italy is facing an unusually early heatwave and lack of rain, particularly in the northern rural Po Valley, which has been hit by the worst drought in 70 years. The state of emergency provides “extraordinary means and powers” to help guarantee public safety, compensation for losses and seeks to guarantee normal living conditions for those in the area. According to Italy’s largest agricultural union, Coldiretti, the drought threatens more than 30% of national agricultural production and half the farms in the Po Valley, where Parma ham is produced. Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda showed lower than normal water levels for the season, while further south the Tiber River, which runs through Rome, also fell. The Pau River is the peninsula’s largest water reservoir, much of which is used by farmers. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST In recent days several municipalities have announced restrictions. Verona, a city of a quarter of a million people, has restricted the use of drinking water, while Milan has announced the closure of its decorative fountains. Another consequence of the drought is that hydropower production has fallen sharply. Hydroelectric plants, mainly in the mountainous north of Italy, account for almost 20% of national energy production. The announcement comes a day after at least seven people died after a glacier collapsed in the Italian Alps, which Prime Minister Mario Draghi said was “undoubtedly” linked to global warming.
