Climate change is making droughts more severe across Europe, according to a new study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, which found that rising temperatures, not just declining rainfall, are driving the continent’s worsening water crisis. Europe is currently experiencing one of its most severe droughts, with countries including France, Romania, Spain, Italy, and parts of Central Europe facing shrinking rivers, water restrictions, crop stress, and devastating wildfires following a record-breaking June heatwave.

Scientists say the planet has already warmed by approximately 1.4°C since the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) due to the burning of fossil fuels. This warming has increased the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture by about 7% for every 1°C rise in temperature, accelerating evaporation from soils, lakes, and rivers and making droughts far more intense than they would have been in a cooler climate.

Heat, Not Just Low Rainfall, Is Driving Europe’s Drought

While many parts of Europe recorded below-average rainfall during spring, researchers say the prolonged drought cannot be explained by rainfall deficits alone.

According to Mariam Zachariah, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-author of the study, today’s warmer atmosphere is pulling significantly more moisture from the land.

She explained that even regions receiving near-normal or increasing seasonal rainfall are becoming more vulnerable to drought because higher temperatures rapidly dry out soils and vegetation.

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A “Thirstier” Atmosphere Is Changing Europe’s Climate

Scientists describe the atmosphere as becoming increasingly “thirsty” as global temperatures rise.

• Higher temperatures increase evaporative demand, the atmosphere’s ability to draw water from plants, soils, and water bodies.
• This creates a feedback loop where dry soils heat up even faster, further intensifying drought conditions and increasing wildfire risks.
• Study co-author Dominik Schumacher of ETH Zurich said that even areas experiencing relatively wet winters can become extremely dry within months if temperatures remain unusually high.

Climate Change Is Making Droughts More Severe Across Europe

Researchers compared today’s climate with a world that was 1.4°C cooler using historical weather observations and advanced climate models.

• Their findings show that climate change is making droughts more severe across Europe, particularly because warmer air extracts moisture much faster than before.
• The study found that extremely dry soils are now five times more likely in Western Europe and eleven times more likely in Eastern Europe compared to a pre-industrial climate.

This drying not only reduces water availability for agriculture and ecosystems but also creates ideal conditions for large-scale wildfires.

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Growing Challenges for Europe

Europe is already recognized as the fastest-warming continent in the world, with climate scientists warning that heatwaves, droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events will become more frequent and severe if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.

The latest findings suggest that adapting to rising temperatures will require more than improving water management. Governments will also need to invest in climate-resilient agriculture, restore ecosystems that retain moisture, strengthen wildfire preparedness, and accelerate efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

As temperatures continue to climb, scientists warn that Europe’s future droughts are likely to become longer, hotter, and more damaging even in years when rainfall remains close to average.

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