Mimosas flowered three months before the natural calendar in Italy. High temperatures have misled all crops, and they are ready for vegetative restart, with production at risk owing to the impending advent of cold and harsh weather. Worrisome is the prospect that in the following weeks, abrupt waves of night frost could destroy the blossoms and buds of plants and trees, causing severe damage to the next crop. In Sicily, where temperature high of 20 degrees have been reported, lemons have already flowered ahead of the spring season. But the animal kingdom is also having trouble, as seen by reports of bees that, bewildered by high temperatures, awaken and come out of the hives, putting themselves in grave risk from the oncoming cold. The major lakes are also experiencing a continuous water crisis, with filling percentages ranging from 18% in Lake Como to 26% in Lake Maggiore to 34% in Lake Garda. The hydrometric level of the Po at Ponte della Becca has also plummeted to -3 meters, and there is also a limited amount of water potential stored in the form of snow in the Alpine and Apennine Alps.
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