In 2023,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
experienced drought-like conditions amid
heat waves
"Heat Waves" is a song by British indie rock band Glass Animals released as a single from their third studio album ''Dreamland (Glass Animals album), Dreamland'' on 29 June 2020. A sleeper hit, it is the band's signature song and biggest hit sing ...
.
France
The Pyrénées-Orientales Department of Southern France officially declared itself at a drought "crisis" level on 10 May. A dry winter limited replenishment of water tables, depleted in the
2022 European drought
During the summer of 2022, parts of Europe experienced drought conditions exacerbated by 2022 European heat waves, heat waves. This was preceded by a warm and dry spring. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said that it seemed ...
. Agriculture in France was impacted.
Italy
At
Lake Garda
Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake cuts into the edge of the Eastern Alps, Italian Alp ...
, where the water level is 70 cm (27 in) lower than average, the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
reportedly had 63% less snow than usual. As a result of water shortages, rice production has been cut. Canals in
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
dried up.
Spain
In
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
, the
Sau reservoir
Sau Reservoir (; ) is a reservoir located on the Ter (river), Ter river, near Vilanova de Sau, Catalonia, Spain. The dam was completed in 1962, creating a reservoir with a storage capacity of 151.3 hm³ that covered the former town of Sant Romà d ...
was reduced to nine per cent of its total capacity. 2023 has been Catalonia's worse drought in decades. The
April 2023 heat wave has also exacerbated drought problems. The
Fuente de Piedra Lagoon went dry for the first time in 20 years due to the heatwave.
The
Doñana National Park
Doñana National Park or Parque Nacional y Natural de Doñana is a natural reserve in Andalusia, southern Spain, in the provinces of Huelva (most of its territory within the municipality of Almonte), Cádiz and Seville. It covers , of which are ...
was threatened by drought.
United Kingdom
Drought warnings were put in place for the summer. It was the driest February since 1993. Scientists said that this increased the drought risk for other regions of England.
It was the wettest March in over 40 years for England and Wales. According to
South West Water
South West Water is a British private utility company responsible for the water supply and waste water treatment services throughout Devon and Cornwall and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water was created in 1989 with the pr ...
,
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
and
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
are experiencing the driest conditions in nearly 90 years. From 25 April 2023,
South West Water
South West Water is a British private utility company responsible for the water supply and waste water treatment services throughout Devon and Cornwall and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water was created in 1989 with the pr ...
extended a
hosepipe ban to parts of
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
.
See also
*
Climate change in Europe
Climate change has resulted in an increase in temperature of 2.3 °C (4.14 °F) (2022) in Europe compared to pre-industrial levels. Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world. Europe's climate is getting warmer due to anthropo ...
*
1540 European drought
*
2022 heat waves
*
2022 European heat waves
From June to August 2022, persistent heatwaves affected parts of Europe, causing evacuations and killing tens of thousands. These heat waves were the deadliest meteorological events in 2022. The highest temperature recorded was in Alijó, Pinh ...
*
2022 European drought
During the summer of 2022, parts of Europe experienced drought conditions exacerbated by 2022 European heat waves, heat waves. This was preceded by a warm and dry spring. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said that it seemed ...
*
2023 European heat waves
*
2020–2023 North American drought
A drought developed in the Western, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States in the summer of 2020. Similar conditions started in other states in August 2020, including Iowa, Nebraska and certain parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota. At the sa ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:European drought, 2023
2023 droughts
2023 disasters in Europe
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
2023 meteorology
Climate change in Europe