From taps to power grids, Europe struggling under heat, drought

Europe is grappling with prolonged heat and widespread drought, which are placing increasing strain on drinking water supplies, power generation, agriculture and inland transport, and disrupting daily life and economic activity across the continent.



Governments are scrambling to introduce emergency measures to secure water and energy supplies and maintain transport operations as drought conditions show little sign of easing.



In Italy's Po Valley, the drought emergency has been raised to a "high" severity level, according to the Po River Basin Authority.



More than 100 municipalities in the northern regions of Piedmont and Lombardy are facing critical drinking water supply problems.



In several municipalities, water tankers have been used for days to refill reservoirs and maintain supplies to households.



Water use is also being tightened in Belgium. The Brussels regional government has urged residents to postpone non-essential activities such as washing cars, filling swimming pools and watering lawns.



Eight municipalities in Wallonia have introduced restrictions on water use, while Flanders has issued a code orange drought warning.



In Cyprus, temperatures approaching 43 degrees Celsius in late July drove electricity demand to a record 1,341 megawatts as households and businesses relied heavily on air conditioning.