Extreme heat fuels drought crisis across Europe, threatening water supplies

Extreme heat across Europe is intensifying drought conditions, drying up soils and rapidly depleting water supplies across the continent. Analysis by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group found that human-caused climate change is driving more frequent and severe heatwaves, which in turn worsen drought conditions.

Crop Losses and River Levels

Already, heatwaves and dry conditions have caused agricultural losses, increased wildfires and pushed river levels to historic lows. French farmers are facing their worst corn harvest in 50 years, while Romania has lost more than one million hectares of agricultural land. The drying of major rivers is disrupting shipping and threatening energy production.

Fivefold Increase in Drought Risk

The WWA analysis found that climate change has made agricultural soil droughts in Western Europe five times more likely, while in Eastern Europe, where dry conditions have persisted for six months, the likelihood has increased 11-fold. The risk of evaporation has increased about 80-fold due to extreme heat. Scientists warn that worsening conditions risk driving up food prices, particularly affecting low-income households.