ROME, 23 August 2022 (WAM) — Nearly half of Europe is threatened by drought, according to a report by the European Commission’s Scientific and Knowledge Service (JRC) released on Monday.
Deutsche News Agency (dpa) reported that as of August 10, 47% of European territories had reached drought warning levels, while 17% of the surveyed areas were on full alert. Quoted.
Dry conditions, combined with low rainfall and many heatwaves since May, have affected the discharge of rivers across Europe, researchers say. Both energy sectors of the cooling system are also being adversely affected.
The drought severely reduced summer yields, with corn, soybeans and sunflowers being the most affected, researchers said.
Both soil moisture and vegetation stress have been severely affected, according to the report, which lists more than a dozen countries at increased risk of drought, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom.
The rest of Europe, already affected by drought, remains in stable and severely dry conditions, according to the report.
According to the report, the worst affected regions are those already affected by drought in the spring of 2022, such as northern Italy, southeastern France and parts of Hungary and Romania.
Researchers predict warmer-than-normal and drier-than-normal conditions are likely for Western Europe and the Mediterranean through November.
Recent rainfall (mid-August) may have eased drought conditions in parts of Europe, experts say. However, in some areas, associated thunderstorms may have caused damage and losses, limiting the beneficial effects of precipitation.
