Drought in Europe July 2026

This is an analytical report on how drought conditions have been deteriorating in central and eastern Europe. Alert conditions persist in central-eastern Europe and have worsened in western Europe. Warning drought conditions remain generally stable in Europe and have extensively expanded in France. Scarce precipitation is the main driver of the drought, with severe and prolonged deficits observed in eastern and central Europe.

Key compounding factors have been the observed temperature anomalies, much warmer than average over central-western Europe, and the severe heatwaves that affected large areas of Europe. Soil moisture and river flow are below normal. Heat and water stresses have been affecting vegetation and crops. Therefore, impacts on crop yields are expected. In the next few months, a north-south water dipole is expected in Europe, with drier conditions in most of the central and northern regions and wetter-than-usual conditions in the Mediterranean areas. Severe heatwaves may also again affect most regions of Europe.