Paris, August 25 (QNA) - Data from the European Drought Observatory showed Monday that the drought in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin continued with exceptional severity at the beginning of August, with more than half of the land area (51.3 percent) affected.

According to the European Drought Observatory, such a high rate has never been recorded for the period from August 1 to 10 since studies began in 2012.

Since mid-April, nearly half of this region has been affected by drought, a phenomenon more serious than the severe drought experienced in the summer of 2022.

The data showed that in early August, 7.8 percent of regions in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin were on alert, the highest level, 38.7 percent were on warning, and 4.9 percent were on watch.

The Caucasus and the northern Balkans are the regions most affected by drought. Georgia and Armenia are affected by drought across 97 percent of their territories, as are Bulgaria and Kosovo.

At least 75 percent of Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Hungary, and Montenegro are under a state of alert or warning.

Heat waves hit this part of Europe in July and August, causing numerous forest fires and the death of one person in Montenegro and another in Albania.

Spain, Portugal, and Italy also experienced severe wildfires at the beginning of the month, as a result of the drought affecting the region.

In the United Kingdom (69.5 percent) and France (63 percent), the Environmental Development Organization estimates that a greater proportion of land has been affected by these severe weather conditions.

According to country-specific estimates provided by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFIS), drought-facilitated fires destroyed more than one million hectares in the European Union (EU) in 2025, surpassing the record for a full year in eight months.

It's worth noting that the Copernicus European Satellite Observatory Drought Index combines rainfall levels, soil moisture, and vegetation conditions. There are three levels of drought: monitoring, warning, and alert. (QNA)