Areas Mediterranean Sea continue to be threatened by the unnatural drought until November, with weather conditions close to normal expected for the most part EUROPE.after a summer that weighed down the harvest, according to European Commission.

Almost half of the EU. (47%) remained subject to “warning” drought levels in the first ten days of August, recording a significant soil moisture deficit, JRC, the Commission’s research agency, announced today—nearly at the same level as the previous month.

And 17% were put on alert as vegetation and crops are severely weakened due to lack of water, up from 11% at the beginning of July.

From now on, “after a long period of unusually dry weather from August to October, weather conditions approaching normal are forecast for most of Europe,” JRC experts emphasize in their report.

“This may not be enough to fully restore the deficit (precipitation) accumulated over six months, but it will ease critical conditions in many areas,” they said.

Rainfall already since mid-August “may mitigate drought conditions”, although “in some areas, hurricanes have caused damage and may limit the positive effect.”

Areas most affected

However, areas of the western Mediterranean are “warmer and drier than average, with conditions likely to continue into November,” and parts of Spain and Portugal are expected to experience “warning” levels of drought, the JRC notes.

The report estimates that atmospheric circulation conditions “usually associated with heat waves and drought during the summer months in Europe” have increased over the past three months to levels not seen since 1950 in much of the continent.

Among the areas most affected by the lack of rainfall, the report mentions central and southern Portugal, all of Spain, southern France, central Italy, southern Germany, and a wide area covering Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.

As scientists attribute them to global warming, these extremely hot and dry weather conditions have “significantly reduced yield prospects for spring crops,” experts say.

Maize (yields down 8.6% at EU level), sunflower (-5.5%) and soybeans (-9.6%) were hit the hardest, according to the report. The final corn crop is now expected to be 16% lower on average. for five years.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}