drought conditions are affecting around 60% of the EU and UK, exacerbated by climate change fueled record heat across Europe this summer, according to new research from the European Drought Observatory.
Because it is important: France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands face water scarcity and the riverbeds are drying out through Europe. The dry conditions are severely affecting energy production, agriculture, and river transportation.
- There is an “increased risk of fires due to the lack of rain and the consequent dry vegetation, combined with high temperatures,” warns the European Union. Copernicus Climate Change Service notes – like forest fires To follow a burn down via Europe.
- In southwestern France, a fire that had burned in the Gironde since July came back to life, forcing the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people on Wednesday. by France 24.
Meanwhile, Many European countries are expected to see continued dry conditions in August and September, adding “to the already very critical situation”, the European Commission’s European Drought Observatory noted in July.
- This “would exacerbate the severity of the drought and the impacts on agriculture, energy and water supplies,” the Observatory said.
The panorama: The European Drought Observatory examined data over a 10-day period at the end of July and found that 45% of the EU territory was under drought warning conditions in the middle of the month, while 15% was in ” red alert” and in severe conditions. water deficiency
in the United Kingdom, where Meteorological Office The data shows that the English regions of East Anglia, the South East and the South faced their driest month of July as a historical heat waves hit, the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology warned drought conditions were likely to continue through October.
What they are saying: “Droughts have become our summer reality,” tweeted Virginijus Sinkeviciusthe Commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries of the European Commission, on Tuesday.
- 100 municipalities in France do not have running water, the Rhine river levels in Germany and France are so low that freight transport is threatened, and the Netherlands “faces an official water shortage,” Sinkevičius noted.
- “Restoring nature is the best solution to change this,” he added.
What to see: Other scorching heat waves I was forecast to reach parts of western and central Europe this week until next week.
- The Meteorological Office has issued an amber heat warning for much of southern England and parts of Wales from Thursday to Sunday, immediately after its first extreme heat warning last month. heat alerts they are also in force throughout France.
- London is forecast to see temperatures of 90°F (33°C) or higher for four consecutive days starting Thursday, with temperatures rising above 100°F in Spain, Portugal and parts of France through the end of week.
- Extreme heat will make drought worse by further drying out soils.
- climate change raised the odds and increased the severity of the previous European heat wave, and is probably a key driver of this event, which is the fourth in the region this summer.
In photos: Drought devastates European landscapes
Go deeper: Earth sees one of the hottest 3 Julys, marked by deadly heat and flash flooding
