According to the European Drought Observatory, Europe is experiencing the worst drought in at least 500 years. Two-thirds of the continent are on alert or are receiving drought warnings, and internal freight, electricity output, and the productivity of various crops have all decreased.
According to the European Drought Observatory’s August report, which was released on Tuesday and is under the control of the European Commission, 47% of the continent is under warning for a clear lack of soil moisture, and 17% is under alert, which indicates that vegetation cover is being impacted.
According to the report, the severe drought that has been affecting a large portion of Europe since the start of the year began to widen and worsen in early August. It was also noted that Western Europe and the Mediterranean are likely to experience warmer and drier conditions than usual up until November.
This summer, high temperatures have persisted for weeks in a large portion of Europe, exacerbated drought, sparked wildfires, and prompted public health advisories and calls for more climate change mitigation.
If the final numbers at the conclusion of the season match the first estimate, the current drought appears to be the worst in at least 500 years, according to a statement from the European Commission.
Summer crops have been impacted; the maize harvest is anticipated to be 16% lower in 2022 than the average of the preceding five years, while yields for soybeans and sunflowers are anticipated to decrease by 15% and 12%, respectively.
Hydropower generation has suffered as a result of a lack of water to feed cooling systems, which has a greater impact on other energy producers.
Low water levels made inland travel challenging, particularly along the Rhine, where coal and oil transit was hampered by lighter freight loads.
The European Drought Observatory said that rainfall in mid-August may have eased these conditions, but in some cases it was accompanied by thunderstorms that caused more damage.
Data from observations of rainfall, soil moisture, and the percentage of solar energy absorbed by plants for photosynthesis are used to calculate the observatory’s drought index.
The drought in Europe is the worst it has been in 500 years.
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