The prolonged heatwave that has ravaged southern Europe is taking its toll on the more than one million residents of Rome, which means that residents could be facing water rationing for up to eight hours a day.

Last month mayor Virginia Raggi switched off thousands of the city’s public drinking fountains in an effort to save water, and as the drought takes hold more and more, some businesses are reporting sporadic disruption to their supply.

Officials from the Italian utility Acea, the Lazio region that contains Rome, and the environment ministry are considering the possibility of rationing the water supply to approximately 50% of the city’s 3 million residents.

Nicola Zingaretti, Lazio’s governor, has ordered a ban on drawing water from drought-hit Lake Bracciano, situated approximately 40km from the capital and supplies some of its water; the ban is set to come into force on 28 July.

“They are working on it and looking at some hypotheses; a decision should be made on Wednesday,” said a spokesperson for Acea.

The series of heatwaves in southern Europe have already exacerbated droughts, fuelled wildfires, and led Greek authorities to close some of the most popular tourist sites. Blazes have broken out across southern Italy and Sicily, where temperatures have climbed well above 40C, and wildfires near the Calampiso seaside resort west of the Sicilian capital, Palermo, forced the evacuation by boat of more than 700 tourists.

The drought and especially high temperatures in Spain during June devastated cereal crops and could threaten the grape and olive harvests as well.

There has been up to 80% lower than average rainfall across Italy this year, and the government has declared states of emergency in the northern agricultural provinces. The heatwave in southern Italy has sparked at least 20 wildfires, including on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius near Naples.

Raggi, Rome’s mayor, said she would try to avoid any rationing of the city’s water supply. “It is unacceptable that over one and a half million Romans should be without water.”

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