ROME, June 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Northern Italy appears to be heading for a severe drought this summer with potentially disastrous effects on the region's agriculture, local media reported on Saturday.

    The water in rivers, lakes and reservoirs is only about half of what it normally is in June, and production of fruit, vegetables and rice are all in danger, according to Italian farmers' union Coldiretti.

    A similar drought caused havoc for farmers in 2003 but this year Coldiretti says the impact could be even greater because the water shortages have started a month earlier.

    Water levels in the River Po, which cuts across northern Italy from west to east, feeding irrigation channels on the fertile Po plain, are rapidly approaching record lows.

    If they sink any further, fields will start running dry. As it is, Italian farmers have already begun autonomously reducing their water usage for irrigation by up to 30 percent.

    Tributaries on the northern side of the river are bringing little water this year because it snowed less than usual this winter in the Italian Alps so there is less to melt.

    In Lake Como, north of Milan, the water has dropped to 15 cm below the zero mark on measuring sticks. In late June it is normally about 100 cm above zero. Enditem