Over half of Europe and the Mediterranean basin were hit by drought in mid-May June 4, 2025

Ana Cunha-Busch
Jun 3
2 min read

Updated: Jun 4

Over half of Europe and the Mediterranean basin hit by drought in mid-May / Photo: © AFP/File

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Over half of Europe and the Mediterranean basin were hit by drought in mid-May

More than half, or 53 percent, of the land in Europe and the Mediterranean basin was hit by drought in mid-May, according to an AFP analysis of data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO) from May 11-20, 2025.

It was the highest level recorded for that period of time in the year since monitoring began in 2012, and more than 20 points higher than the average between 2012-2024.

The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, based on satellite imagery, takes into account three benchmarks: precipitation, or rainfall, soil moisture, and the state of vegetation.

There are three levels of drought: watch, warning, and alert.

Between May 11-20, 42 percent of Europe's soil and the Mediterranean basin were lacking in moisture, at a warning level, and five percent at an alert level, signalling that vegetation was developing abnormally.

Northern, eastern, and central European countries were mainly concerned, with high alert levels.

Some 19 percent of Ukrainian territory was on a state of alert, while other countries were in a worrying situation, including Belarus (17 percent), Poland (10 percent), Hungary, and Slovakia (nine percent).

To the south, the level of alert stood at 20 percent in some countries and territories, including Syria, Cyprus, and the Palestinian territories.

While stopping short of a state of alert, several countries were in mid-May hit by some kind of large drought, including the United Kingdom, across 98 percent of its territory since mid-March.

The UK's official weather service, The Met Office, said the UK experienced its warmest spring on record -- and its driest in more than 50 years.

The European Central Bank warned on May 23 of major economic risks from drought, which can threaten up to 15 percent of production in the eurozone due to increasing extreme weather caused by climate change.

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