Extreme Heat Increases Drought Threat in Europe, International Researchers Find

Climate change caused by human activity has worsened drought conditions in Europe. An international team of researchers said on Thursday that the main factor behind the exceptionally dry conditions is extreme heat rather than a lack of rainfall.

A study by the World Weather Attribution group found that today’s warmer climate has increased the rate at which European soils, lakes and rivers lose moisture, making drought more likely.

Drought is affecting many European countries this summer. France could record its lowest corn production in 50 years, while Romania has imposed restrictions on farmers’ access to irrigation water. The Netherlands announced last week that it was facing water shortages, while seven Greek islands have declared a state of emergency due to drought in an effort to preserve water reserves.

One of the researchers stressed that the threat of drought is also increasing in areas where rainfall levels have changed little or where, depending on the season, they are projected to rise.

Zachariah, of Imperial College London, told international media reporters that, overall, the results show that this drought is not primarily linked to low rainfall. According to him, the cause is a warmer atmosphere, which is creating greater soil moisture deficits.

The World Weather Attribution study also found that, compared with a world without climate change, exceptionally dry soils are now five times more likely in Western Europe and 11 times more likely in Eastern Europe.