In late July, drought conditions remained stable and critical in western, central and part of eastern Europe, in the Balkans, and in Italy and worsened in the UK and Ireland. Watch conditions appeared in the Iberian Peninsula.
During this period, Europe experienced above-average temperatures, with the end of the extensive and prolonged heatwave affecting the previous two thirds of July and the onset of a new intense heatwave, moving from the western Mediterranean and Italy towards the northwestern Balkans and central-eastern Europe.
According to the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) based on ERA5 data, in late July, negative anomalies are present in central and southwestern Europe, northernmost North America, central America, northwestern and central-eastern South America, central Andes, central and eastern Africa, Madagascar, and northernmost, central, southwestern, and southeastern Asia.
Additional information related to food security can be found on the European Commission's Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP).
