More than half of Europe’s land and Mediterranean coasts, 52 percent, were affected by drought in July, marking the highest level for the month since records began in 2012, according to AFP analysis of data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO).
The rate is 21 points above the 2012–2024 average and represents the fourth consecutive month of record-breaking drought conditions.
The Copernicus program’s drought indicator, which combines rainfall, soil moisture, and vegetation health from satellite data, shows severe impacts in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
Hungary’s share of land under drought alert surged from 9 percent in June to 56 percent in July, Kosovo from 6 to 43 percent, and Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1 to 23 percent. Persistent heatwaves in the region have fueled record numbers of fires, including in illegal open-air dumps releasing toxic smoke.
In Turkey, more than 60 percent of the country has faced drought every month since March, contributing to wildfires that on August 8 forced the evacuation of three villages and closed shipping in the Dardanelles Strait.
Western Europe saw mixed conditions. In France, drought affected 68 percent of soils in July, up from 44 percent in June, coinciding with one of the largest wildfires in its history, 3,000 hectares burned in Aude.
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