Last month, a record drought was recorded in Europe and the Mediterranean area.
More than half of the land in European countries, mainly in the east, was affected by drought at the beginning of July, according to a study of the latest data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO). This is the largest area affected by drought in the period from 1 to 10 July since records began in 2012.
The value was 21 percent above the average from 2012 to 2014. Compared to June, when 55.5 percent of the area was affected by drought, the value has decreased slightly.
Drought research by the European Observatory's Copernicus program is based on satellite images and three parameters that are taken into account: precipitation, soil moisture, and vegetation condition.
Eastern Europe most affected by drought
In Serbia, Bulgaria and Kosovo, the land was completely affected by drought. In Armenia and Turkey, large areas – 77 to 95 percent of the country – were also affected by drought. In Turkey, the drought, accompanied by strong winds, has caused fires.
Syria has also been hit by a drought that is threatening its wheat harvest and, according to the UN, threatens the food security of 16 million people. In Western Europe, the situation has been mixed, with a third of France affected by drought, while Spain and Portugal were not hit hard by the drought./DW
