Italy faces another year of severe drought after little winter rain or snow

The Po passes through Turin. In the Pavia area river levels are 3 metres below the zero gauge, a phenomenon usually seen in summer. Photograph: LaPresse/Rex/Shutterstock

Italy’s rivers and lakes are facing another year of severe drought after a winter of little rain and snowfall, raising the alarm on the implications for farming, hydropower and access to drinking water.

Vast areas of the Po – the country’s longest river that nourishes several northern and central regions – are already parched, while the water level on Lake Garda is the lowest during winter in 35 years.