EU releases new map showing how alarming weather situation is

Extreme heat is lasting for longer than usual as it is felt around the whole of Europe, making it the most burning issue around the continent. But, a new map posted by an EU agency shows just how alarming the situation is.

The effects of scorching heat and dry weather have made headlines in large-scale forest fires that have been raging around southern Europe, with several videos and images showing pictures of fires around forests.

Furthermore, the latest map of the European Drought Observatory has shown the entire continent is colouring orange, and even red.

It has shown that around 47% of the European territory is under so-called “warning” conditions (coloured orange on the map), meaning there is a deficit of moisture in the soil, while 17% is facing an “alert” condition (red) and are facing serious water deficiency and an anomaly in the vegetation condition is observed.

The Combined Drought Indicator takes into concern the precipitation  levels, soil moisture and quantifies the fraction of the solar radiation, which is absorbed by live leaves for the photosynthesis activity. The map is based on data collected during the third party of July 2022.

This warning comes on top of an earlier report by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which mentioned that last month was one of the three warmest Julys on record globally. The month was also the driest July in 137 years in Belgium.