In three weeks' time "there will be no water for agriculture" in central and southern Italy, the national association of the agricultural water board ANBI warned on Thursday in its weekly bulletin.
The report said the situation was particularly alarming in Puglia, Abruzzo and Sicily, hit by a severe drought, where water reserves are nearly empty.
Reserves were also seriously low in Sardinia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania and Lazio, the report noted.
Northern Italy was instead described as having abundant water with lakes and rivers above the seasonal average.
Between July 21 and 22, Italy recorded 54 extreme meteorological events.