Europe faces historic drought risk as climate change intensifies, scientists announce Thursday. Extreme heatwaves, more than low rainfall, now primarily cause widespread and severe drought conditions.
From France to Romania, river levels drop, water usage restricted, destructive wildfires spread rapidly.
With global warming reaching one point four degrees, Europe's land and water lose moisture. Spring rainfall was below average, but heatwave effects overshadowed precipitation amounts in Europe.
Soils in Western Europe five times drier, Eastern Europe eleven times higher drought likelihood. An increasingly 'thirsty' atmosphere amplifies drought, making unchanged rainfall still riskier than previously.