Breaking News English

Large [swats / swathes] of Europe are experiencing droughts and water shortages. One [region / regional] is experiencing its worst drought for 70 years. The area, in northern Italy, has had [hardly / hardened] any rainfall in the past four months. This year's snowfall was 70 per cent lower. This has caused the River Po, Italy's largest, to be three metres lower [that / than] average. A [lot / loads] of the riverbed has dried up and people can walk across the [mud / muddy] . In one part, the declining water level has [fully / full] exposed a World War II shipwreck. Authorities are [cornered / concerned] that if it doesn't rain soon, there'll be a serious [watery / water] shortage. This means water will be rationed for drinking. Farmers will also have problems finding water to [irritate / irrigate] their crops.

A spokesperson from Italy's Po Basin Authority said the water shortages are [unprecedented / unrepresented] . The river gets much of its water from Lake Maggiore [in / on] the Italian Alps. The lake is [seen / seeing] its lowest water level since 1946. Problems are being [reverberated / exacerbated] by higher-than-average temperatures and a mini heat [weave / wave] . A farmer from the tiny [rural / mural] town of Guastalla, 150 km southeast of Milan, said she is expecting a "disastrous year". She said: "With such high temperatures and with no rain...the situation is [catastrophic / catastrophe] ." She added: "We believe that there will be a [droop / drop] in wheat productivity by at least 20 per cent due to the [lack / slack] of rain." The Po Valley will see a 30 to 40% reduction in [fruit / fruity] and vegetable production.