Swiss authorities have imposed water restrictions across much of the country as extreme heat and prolonged drought continue to reduce water supplies and river levels.

According to local media, several municipalities have banned activities including car washing, lawn watering and filling private swimming pools, while farmers have been prohibited from drawing water from streams in some areas.

Last week, Switzerland's national weather service MeteoSwiss declared Level 4 drought, the country's second-highest warning level. Water-saving measures have since been introduced in nearly all of Switzerland's 26 cantons.

In the northern canton of Aargau, authorities banned residents from watering lawns, washing vehicles and filling swimming pools. Similar restrictions have also been introduced in Basel, while Solothurn has prohibited farmers from extracting water from local rivers until further notice.

Water levels in Lake Zurich, Lake Constance and the Upper Rhine River have fallen significantly, disrupting some passenger boat services.

In mountainous areas of central Switzerland, including the Pilatus region near Lucerne, drinking water is being delivered by tanker trucks after local springs began to dry up.

In the eastern canton of St. Gallen, the municipal swimming pool in Uzwil was closed earlier than planned to conserve water, with local authorities noting that its daily consumption was equivalent to the needs of around 1,000 people.

Local media also reported severe drought impacts in the French-speaking cantons of Vaud, Geneva and Neuchâtel, where fish deaths, forest damage and growing pressure on agriculture have been reported.

Switzerland is among several European countries facing prolonged heatwaves and drought this summer, with Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece also experiencing severe wildfire risks and water shortages.(ILKHA)