Romans threatened with water rationing as Italy's heatwave drags on

Half of capital’s 3 million residents could have water switched off for eight hours a day after Italy’s driest spring for 60 years

More than a million residents of Rome are facing water rationing for up to eight hours a day as the prolonged heatwave that has ravaged southern Europe takes its toll on the Italian capital.

Some businesses are already reporting sporadic disruption to their supply, while last month mayor Virginia Raggi turned off thousands of the city’s public drinking fountains in an effort to save water as the drought set in.

Related: Grapes shrivel as Spanish farmers lament a relentless drought