Italy: Local govts call emergency amid record-setting heatwave

Rome, Aug 9 (IANS) Regional and municipal governments across Italy have been declaring states of emergency as the country's extremely hot and dry summer continues.

Sassari in Sardinia became the latest local administration to declare a state of emergency due to oppressive drought conditions and record high temperatures on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sassari, in the northern part of the Italian island, has freed up extra cash to help local businesses hurt by the severe weather.

Earlier, Calabria, the southern region at the toe of Italy's boot-shaped peninsula, asked the central government to declare a national emergency, a status that would release emergency funds and allow for local governments to set up rationing schedules to conserve water.

In Sicily, local governments have also declared an emergency. In the southern Italian region, some parts of the island have gone weeks without regular water supplies, and the same situation has been observed in Apulia, on the heel of the Italian peninsula.

In Lucani, a belt that runs through the central part of southern Italy, known as one of the main olive oil producers, the Lucanian Olive Producers' Organization said their olive oil production will shrink 95 per cent this year.

Italy's national farmers' union Coldiretti said earlier this month that this year's national production of tomatoes and berries would be "severely" limited by the unusually hot and dry weather.

According to the meteorological data site Il Meteo, temperatures are expected to reach as high as 43 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of the south and the island regions.

The lack of rainfall has exacerbated the heatwaves, causing severe water shortages, localised rationing for families and businesses, and big problems for farmers.According to the Italian Ministry of Health, the number of cities under "orange" or "red" alert is set to rise. By Saturday, 20 of the country's 27 largest cities, including Rome, Florence, and Palermo, will fall under an "orange" or "red" alert.