There is already a drought alert

The state of Italy's rivers and lakes in February 2023 resembles that already seen during the torrid, dry summer of 2022. According to the CNR (National Research Council) for Italy, 2022 was the driest year since 1800. The Po River is more than three metres below its usual level, and in satellite images the bends of this great river already appear full of sand, while islets are emerging everywhere. Lakes are faring no better: Lake Garda is 35% lower than its 'normal' level, Lake Maggiore is 38% lower, and Lake Como is down to a fifth. The lack of water already in the early months of the year does not bode well for an improvement of the situation during the summer months. Serious repercussions are feared in agriculture and hydropower production. There is also a lack of snow, which, together with the glaciers, feeds the rivers: over the last century, the duration of the snow cover in the Alps has decreased by about a month. And with no snow-capped mountain peaks this spring, the lack of water in the lowlands is bound to be enormous.