An international team of scientists reports that human-caused climate change intensifies drought across Europe, with extreme heat—not unusually low rainfall—acting as the main driver of exceptionally dry conditions. The researchers say a warmer atmosphere increases moisture loss from Europe’s soils and from surface water, raising the likelihood of severe, “bone-dry” conditions. They point to the impact of recent high temperatures, including a historic heatwave in June, which has left rivers parched, prompted water restrictions in multiple countries, and contributed to damaging wildfires. While parts of Europe also experience below-average spring rainfall, the study’s findings emphasize that the severity of drought is strongly linked to heat accelerating evaporation and drying of land and water bodies. The scientists warn that as temperatures rise, drought risk is likely to grow further, increasing wildfire hazards in affected regions.
Study says human-caused climate change intensifies Europe’s drought via extreme heat
An international team of scientists reports that human-caused climate change intensifies drought across Europe, with extreme heat—not unusually low rainfall—acting as the main driver of exceptionally...
- An international study finds human-caused climate change intensifies drought conditions across Europe.
- The research says extreme heat, rather than low rainfall, is the main driver of exceptionally dry conditions.
- A warmer atmosphere increases moisture deficits by accelerating moisture loss from soils and surface waters.
- Recent impacts include parched rivers, water restrictions in some countries, and wildfires following a historic June heatwave.
- Scientists warn higher temperatures will further increase drought and wildfire risk.
Human-caused climate change has intensified a drought across Europe, with extreme heat rather than low rainfall driving the exceptionally dry conditions, a team of international scientists said Thursday.
2 hours agoHuman-caused climate change has intensified Europe's drought by making extreme heat, rather than low rainfall, the main driver of exceptionally dry conditions, an international team of scientists said on Thursday, warning that a warmer atmosphere is sharply increasing drought and wildfire risks.
8 hours agoPARIS, France — Human-caused climate change has intensified a drought across Europe with extreme heat, rather than low rainfall driving the exceptionally dry conditions, a team of international scientists said Thursday. The continent is gripped by a major drought with countries from France to Romania confronting parched rivers, water restrictions and devastating wildfires after a historic heatwave in June. A new study has found that today's hotter climate has accelerated moisture loss from Europe's soils, lakes and rivers, increasing the likelihood of bone-dry conditions. Much of Europe received below-average rainfall during spring but it was climate-driven heat that made the drought "more severe," said Mariam Zachariah, who co-authored the World Weather Attribution group study. "Overall, our results show that this drought is not primarily a story of low rainfalls but of a warmer atmosphere that is causing more moisture deficits on the land," Zachariah, from Imperial College London, told reporters. "This means that even in regions where the rainfall has changed little or is projected to
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