Report: Europe Facing Worst Drought in 500 Years

Facts

• According to a preliminary analysis from the European Drought Observatory (EDO), Europe is experiencing its worst drought in at least five centuries, with 47% of the continent under warning conditions and a further 17% in a state of alert.
• The "severe drought" - affecting Europe since the start of 2022 - has "been further expanding and worsening as of early August," the EDO said. Extended periods of lack of rainfall combined with a "sequence of heatwaves from May onwards" have only made matters worse, the report concluded.
• Hydro and other power plants lack sufficient water to maintain cooling systems, crops have reduced 12% -16% compared to the last five years, and low water levels have reduced inland shipping of products, including coal and oil.
• Western Europe-Mediterranean is expected to continue to experience hotter and drier than normal conditions until November, according to the report.
• A series of recent heatwaves, droughts, and fires across the world have prompted a revived focus on global warming and climate change.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Europa, Euro News, and Axios.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Chris Hedges Report. We were warned for decades about the dangers of failing to address global warming. Now the consequences of our failures, such as record-breaking heatwaves, droughts, and declining crop yields, are finally upon us.
• Narrative B, as provided by Financial Times. It's easy to dismiss extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, weather events are usually influenced by a myriad of factors, including natural variability. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the current situation and climate change.