According to data recently published by the European Drought Observatory (European Drought Observatory), around 60% of the territory of Europe and the United Kingdom is currently threatened by drought. These conclusions are based on data from a 10-day period at the end of July, which shows that by mid-July, a drought warning had been declared for 45% of EU territory. Furthermore, 15% of the population received a red warning, indicating a serious shortage of water.
The EU climate monitoring agency Copernicus reported on 8 August on the continuing heat in Europe during July, when temperatures exceeded +40 °C for at least one day in Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom, a record maximum daily temperature of +40.3 °C was registered this year, the first time temperatures above +40 °C have been recorded in the country.
The May-July period was the driest on record for Spain. According to the national meteorological agency, water reserves were at their lowest. The Dutch government also officially announced a water shortage at the beginning of August.
French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced water usage restrictions, banning citizens from watering lawns or washing cars and prohibiting farmers from irrigating crops. France recorded its driest July in over 60 years, with rainfall of only 9.7 mm. As a result, more than 100 French municipalities do not have access to running drinking water and are being supplied by lorry.
According to a forecast published two weeks ago by the EU's Joint Research Centre, the heat and drought could lead to an 8-9% decrease in the production of maize, sunflowers and soybeans in Europe. This also affects river transport, as water levels continue to fall.
At the Kaub measuring point on the Rhine, which is the most important waterway in Europe, the water level had dropped to 49 cm by 14 August; if it falls another 9 cm, the waterway will become impassable.
Forest fires
The number of forest fires has also increased due to the drought, with several records broken, particularly in the Mediterranean region, where fires raged over an area more than twice the size of Rome in July. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), a total area of 587,868 ha had been burnt in the European Union from the start of the year until 30 July, compared to an average of ~158,000 ha for the 2006-2021 reporting period.