In 2023,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
experienced drought-like conditions amid
heat waves
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
.
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 heat waves. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said it seems to be Europe's worst year in 500 years. A report from the Global Drought ...
. Agriculture in France was impacted.
Italy
At
Lake Garda
Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label= Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy.
It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...
, where the water level is 70 cm (27 in) lower than average, the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, ...
reportedly had 63% less snow than usual. As a result of water shortages, rice production has been cut. Canals in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
dried up.
Spain
In
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
, the
Sau reservoir
Sau Reservoir ( ca, Pantà de Sau) is a reservoir located on the 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 Ro ...
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
Fuente de Piedra Lagoon is a wetland located in the Málaga province of Spain. It is used by the greater flamingo for its annual reproduction cycle, constituting the largest colony on the Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* ...
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 Andalucía, southern Spain, in the provinces of Huelva (most of its territory), Cádiz and Seville. It covers , of which are a protected area. The park is an ...
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 provides drinking water and waste water services throughout Devon and Cornwall and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water was created in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry. It was preceded by the ...
,
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
and
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...
are experiencing the driest conditions in nearly 90 years. From 25 April 2023,
South West Water
South West Water provides drinking water and waste water services throughout Devon and Cornwall and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water was created in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry. It was preceded by the ...
extended a
hosepipe ban
An outdoor water-use restriction is a ban or other lesser restrictions put into effect that restricts the outdoor use of water supplies. Often called a watering ban or hosepipe ban, it can affect:
*irrigation of lawns
* car washing
*recreational ...
to parts of
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
.
See also
*
Climate change in Europe
Climate change in Europe has resulted in an increase in temperature of 1.9 °C (2019) in Europe compared to pre-industrial levels. Europe's climate is getting warmer due to anthropogenic activity. According to international climate experts ...
*
1540 European drought
The 1540 drought in Europe was a climatic event in Europe. In various palaeoclimatic analyses the temperature and precipitation regimes were reconstructed and compared to present-day conditions.
On the basis of historical records Wetter et al ...
*
2022 heat waves
This page documents notable heat waves worldwide in 2022. Many heat waves were worsened by climate change and its effects. Notably, heat waves across Europe, which also affected the United Kingdom, started in June and continued throughout Ju ...
*
2022 European heat waves
From June to August 2022, persistent heatwaves affected parts of Europe, causing evacuations and over 20,000 heat-related deaths, making these heat waves the deadliest meteorological events in 2022. The highest temperature recorded was in Pi ...
*
2022 European drought
During the summer of 2022, parts of Europe experienced drought conditions exacerbated by heat waves. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said it seems to be Europe's worst year in 500 years. A report from the Global Drought ...
*
2023 European heat waves
In 2023, Europe had been affected by heat waves. The most significant of which was the named heat wave, Cerberus Heatwave, which brought the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe. Starting on 10 July 2023, the record-breaking Cerberus an ...
*
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 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:European drought, 2023
2023 droughts
2023 disasters in Europe
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
2023 meteorology
Climate change in Europe