Record, the "driest" August in European history

More than half of Europe's soils (53%) were affected by drought in August 2025, making it the driest August ever recorded by the European Drought Observatory (EDO), which has been monitoring the phenomenon since 2012. The percentage is 23 percentage points above the average for the 2012-2024 period, AFP reports.

• How drought is measured

EDO, part of the European Copernicus program, combines satellite data on precipitation, soil moisture and vegetation status. Drought is classified into three levels: monitoring, warning and alert. In August 2024, only 36% of the soil was affected, and the previous absolute record of 52% had been reached in May 2025.

• Balkans, among the most affected regions

Eastern Europe and the Balkans faced the worst effects: in Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia, the drought rate exceeded 90%. In Serbia, 61% of the soil even entered a state of alert. In the region, the lack of water favored fires, resulting in casualties and massive evacuations.

• Critical situation

The lack of precipitation also seriously affected Western Europe. In Portugal, drought covered 70% of the territory in August, compared to only 5% in July. In France, two-thirds of the area (66%) was affected by water shortages, with 12% of the territory in a state of alert, especially the southwest, where wine production suffered major losses.

In Armenia, Georgia and Lebanon, almost the entire area was affected by drought (99%, 97% and 96%). Turkey also reported an alarming level - 84% of the territory - and also faced devastating fires, such as the one in the Canakkale province.