Among other things, the government should take measures to combat water wastage and to make the aqueducts more efficient, according to reports in Rome. Water rationing in regions that are particularly hard hit by the drought is not ruled out.
The heatwave is likely to last at least 10 days in some parts of Italy, weather forecasters warn. There were power outages in some towns in southern Italy. There were blackouts in the Campania and Apulia regions, with the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Ischia and Procida being particularly affected. A power outage in Naples caused an interruption in water supplies to Ischia and Procida. A similar incident occurred in the municipality of Molfetta, north of the Adriatic port city of Bari. Disturbances on medium-voltage lines were detected here.
Worried about corn, soy and rice
According to studies, the increase in heat waves and drought periods worldwide is clearly due to man-made climate change. Temperatures around 40 degrees in several parts of Italy are now putting a heavy strain on agriculture. “We are worried about the production of corn, soybeans and rice. It is clearly a sensitive moment for the whole country,” stressed Minister of Agriculture Stefano Patuanelli. He also expressed concern about the fires that are still raging in several regions of Italy. Most of the fires were in Sicily, the regions of Apulia, Lazio, Calabria, Campania and Emilia Romagna were also affected, the fire brigade said.
Meanwhile, two helicopters were deployed in the Tuscan wine region of Chianti, where 11.5 hectares of forest and fields went up in smoke. Fires also broke out in a park in the Lombard city of Monza on Tuesday. Although the penalties for the offense “forest arson” in Italy are very severe, fires remain a summer plague in the boot state. Arson can carry a prison sentence of four to ten years.
After a serious fire in a Roman outskirts on Monday, the public prosecutor’s office in Rome launched an investigation into negligent arson. In the fire, 35 people had to be treated for smoke inhalation. A cloud of black smoke spread to the center of the capital.
Source: Nachrichten
