Preliminary data from the European Drought Observatory found that 47% of Europe is in warning conditions, meaning the soil has a clear moisture deficit. A further 17% of the continent is in a state of alertness, meaning vegetation is under pressure. Across Europe, hot and dry conditions have threatened livestock and increased crop failure. According to the report, grain yields are expected to fall 16 percent below the five-year average. Forecasts for soybean and sunflower yields are also expected to decline by 15% and 12%, respectively. Dry farmland in San Benedetto del Po, Italy, on August 11. (Francesca Volpi/Bloomberg via Getty Images) “The severe drought affecting many parts of Europe since the beginning of the year has further extended and worsened since early August,” the report said. Countries along Europe’s Mediterranean coast, such as Italy, France and Spain, are likely to see warmer and drier conditions through November. Mariya Gabriel, Research Commissioner for the European Union, said ongoing heat waves and water shortages have created “unprecedented stress on water levels across the EU”. Gabriel added: “We are currently seeing a well above average fire season and a significant impact on crop production. Climate change is undoubtedly more noticeable every year.” The report also warned that most of Europe’s rivers have seen water levels fall, with beds in Germany and France drying up. Parts of Germany’s Rhine River have completely dried up, causing problems for shipping on the country’s most important inland waterway. German officials told CNN on August 12 that water levels in the river had dropped “extremely low”. The receding water level has revealed objects beneath the depths, including shipwrecks, World War relics and ‘famine stones’ – rocks placed over the centuries to mark water levels during historic droughts – with warnings for future generations . The story continues A prolonged drought lowered the Elbe River so much that a so-called hunger stone appeared in Decin, Czech Republic, on August 18. (Vit Cerny/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) One of the oldest, discovered in the Czech Republic, is believed to be from the 15th century. The inscription on the stone reads: “If you see me, then cry.” In early August, the French government was forced to set up a crisis team to deal with the drought after more than 100 municipalities were left without drinking water. “There is nothing left in the pipes,” Christophe Béchu, minister of ecological transition, said in a statement at the time. The French government has described the drought as the worst the country has ever experienced. In Britain, a ban has been imposed on the use of hoses for watering gardens, filling swimming pools and washing cars. The ban, which came into force in southern England, came after reports that the River Thames had reached its lowest level in 17 years. A month earlier, the UK experienced several wildfires following a record-breaking heat wave. Fires are a problem elsewhere in Europe and have displaced thousands of people. Power outages and heat-related deaths also occurred in the past two months. Extreme weather events are unlikely to stop. In 2020, a UN agency predicted that annual global temperatures would be at least 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than pre-industrial levels in each of the next five years. Another study, conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and Harvard University, reported that dangerous heat waves will at least triple worldwide by 2100.
