In the Mediterranean region

Highest alert level in some areas due to winter drought

In some cases, there is talk of a "drought of the century".(Bild: AP)

According to the European earth observation program Copernicus, the drought in the Mediterranean region has continued over the winter months, leading to water restrictions and drought emergencies in some areas. The highest alert level was reached in 2.8 percent of the region.

More than 45 percent of southern Europe suffered from dry soils during the first ten days of February, according to data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO). According to Copernicus, a quarter of Europe and North Africa is in drought. The winter months brought less precipitation than average in the region. The situation has worsened since the end of January, although it is slightly better than last year, when 31.3 percent of the region was affected by drought.

Warmest January since records began
The situation is particularly bad in southern Italy, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia and northern Morocco. In addition to the drought, temperatures are above the usual average. According to Copernicus, last January was the warmest in the world since records began.

The regional president of the Spanish region of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès, spoke of a "drought of the century". A state of emergency was declared and water restrictions were imposed. The Italian island of Sicily declared a drought emergency at the beginning of February. Morocco, where temperatures recently rose to 37 degrees Celsius, is experiencing its sixth consecutive year of drought.

February is unlikely to bring any improvement
The EDO has predicted above-average temperatures for Europe and the Mediterranean region in spring 2024. This is expected to be accompanied by less snow in mountain ranges, which will be responsible for filling the rivers in the coming months.