\nMore than half of Europe and the Mediterranean basin was affected by drought in the first ten days of August, according to an AFP analysis on Monday of European Drought Observatory (EDO) data.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe 51.3% figure is the highest level registered for the period of August 1-10 since data collection began in 2012.\n<\/p>\n
\nAround half of the area has been affected by drought since mid-April 2025, a situation worse than the severe drought of the summer of 2022.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Drought Observatory Indicator determined by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service uses satellite imagery to measure precipitation or rainfall, soil moisture and the state of vegetation.\n<\/p>\n
\nFindings are then categorised into one of three levels of drought: watch, warning and alert \u2013 the last level signalling that vegetation is developing abnormally.\n<\/p>\n
\nIn early August, 7.8% of Europe and the Mediterranean basin was on alert, the highest level, while 38.7% was on a warning level and 4.9% on watch.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Caucasus and north Balkans regions were most affected by the drought, with Georgia and Armenia affected on 97% of their territory, followed by Bulgaria and Kosovo. Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Hungary and Montenegro all saw three-quarters of their surface area put on warning or alert.\n<\/p>\n
\nThis area of Europe in July and August experienced heatwaves, which led to numerous wildfires, leaving one dead in Montenegro and one in Albania.\n<\/p>\n
\nSpain, Portugal and Italy, also battered by strong wildfires this month, are currently only affected at a local level. In Britain, however, 69.5% and in France, 63% of their territory is affected, according to the EDO.\n<\/p>\n
\nCentral Europe saw the only improvement, with soil humidity and the state of vegetation returning to normal in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, which had been heavily affected over the previous months.\n<\/p>\n
\nAccording to an AFP count, based on estimates collected by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), fires have already ravaged more than one million hectares in the EU in 2025, a record amount.\n<\/p>\n
\n(mm)\n<\/p>\n
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