A report from the European Commission’s research and knowledge service claims that nearly half of Europe is at risk of drought (JRC).
As of August 10, 47% of Europe’s land area has reached a drought warning level, while 17% of the regions examined were on full alert, according to a report released on Monday, according to the dpa news agency.
According to researchers, the lack of rain and several heatwaves from May on have had a significant impact on river discharges all over Europe. Water volume reductions have had a negative impact on the energy sector, particularly hydropower generating and other power stations’ cooling systems.
Corn, soybeans, and sunflowers have been the most negatively impacted by the drought in terms of yield reductions for summer crop harvests, according to the experts.
According to the JRC analysis, which listed over a dozen nations where drought risk has been rising, including Germany, France, and the UK, “Soil moisture and vegetation stress are both significantly affected.”
The report said, “The rest of Europe, already suffering from drought, retains stable severely dry conditions.”
According to the report, locations that were already impacted by drought in the spring of 2022, such as parts of northern Italy, southern France, and some regions in Hungary and Romania, are those where circumstances are deteriorating the most rapidly. The western Euro-Mediterranean region is expected to have warmer and drier-than-normal temperatures through November, according to researchers.
