Po River hits record low flow in June 2026, sparking drought and salt‑water intrusion

Early June 2026 heat waves have driven the Po River’s discharge below 300 m³/s, far short of the typical 1 500 m³/s for the month and the lowest recorded June flow. The rapid drop has left the river barely a metre deep in places, exposing sandbanks and halting navigation as debris and exposed trees pose hazards.

Farmers across the Po Valley are already feeling the strain. Intensive crops such as corn and soybean, which feed dairy cattle for Parmesan cheese and pork for Parma ham, are wilting. Irrigation pumps are running at full capacity while alpine lakes that feed the basin are only about 60 % full. Experts warn that, at the current rate, only three weeks of water reserves remain.

At the delta, sea water has pushed inland up to 20 km, contaminating agricultural lands and threatening the historic rice paddies. Existing flood barriers are largely ineffective at the current low flow, and engineers say the river would need nearly double its present discharge to protect the delta. The salinity incursion echoes the 2022 event, which reached 40 km inland.

Authorities have declared a medium‑level water emergency for the Po basin. Measures such as suspending irrigation withdrawals in parts of Piedmont and the Emilia‑Romagna region have been introduced, while monitoring agencies track the worsening conditions across the river’s entire course.