Thermometers have set records for high temperatures in various locations in northern Italy in the early days of this summer. The heat wave has forced the authorities to establish the orange alert (the second highest on the scale) in 23 Italian cities on Monday, June 27, some of which may join Palermo and Perugia this week in the category of Red alert.
The high temperatures of these days add to the lack of accumulated rainfall. In Italy there has been 40%-50% less rainwater this year compared to the averages of recent years and up to 70% less snow, explained the director of the Italian Civil Protection, Fabrizio Curcio.
In some points, the flow of the Po River, the longest in Italy, has been reduced by 80% compared to the historical average and "in some areas it has an absolutely important impact on agricultural, fishing and electrical production," Fabrizio added. Curcio.
The effects of the drought are perceptible even from space, as shown by the European Space Agency (ESA) with a combination of images captured with equipment from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 program flying over the Po Valley near Piacenza (June 2020 and June 2022).
Stretching from the Alps in the northwest to the Adriatic Sea on the east coast, the vast waterway is a vital source of water for several regions. It is used for drinking water, nourishes large tracts of agricultural land, and produces hydroelectric power in the north. of Italy", reminds the ESA.
Water in the Po Valley has now dropped to record low levels, partly as a result of the lack of rain that northern Italy has been suffering from, as well as high temperatures and lack of snow in the mountains that feed the river. Many of these areas have been without rain for more than 110 days, according to the Po River Observatory.
The Po River is normally a wide swath of water (as seen in the June 2020 image), but has now dried out with large stretches of exposed sand (as seen in the June 2022 image).
The Po Valley is the most important agricultural area in the country, producing around 40% of Italy's food, including wheat, rice and tomatoes. With the ongoing drought, farmers are struggling to keep crops irrigated and many Po Valley towns have been asked to ration water overnight amid the drought.
Benjamin Koetz, Head of ESA's Office for Sustainable Initiatives, said: “According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, agriculture consumes up to 70% of fresh water and, considering the increasing scarcity of water, the use of water must be more efficient in this sector. . To this end, ESA is preparing the Earth Surface Temperature Monitoring Mission as part of the Copernicus Expansion Missions that will allow us to monitor crop evapotranspiration at field level and thereby support sustainable irrigation practices. ”.
According to new results published by an ESA-funded project called CAREHeat, the Mediterranean Sea is currently experiencing a marine heat wave with temperatures in May 2022 4°C higher than the average for the period 1985-2005. According to the findings, the surface water temperature reached peaks of more than 23°C.
The project, which has the participation of Italian research agencies such as the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) and the National Research Council (CNR), seeks to develop strategies to identify marine heat waves and determine its effect. on marine ecosystems and economic activities such as fishing.
