Satellite pictures show Europe facing droughts as ground water runs low after 40C heatwave
EUROPE faces the threat of a drought as the next three months look set to be hot and dry scorchers.
Satellite data shows huge swathes of the continent already running low on ground water after an unusually dry spring.
Europe faces a potential water shortage for the third year in a row as 2020 continues to be one of the warmest years on record around the globe.
Last winter was also warm and the continent had little snow, followed by a dry and warm spring.
And a heatwave already baked Europe in May as forecasters remain confident the hot weather will continue.
Eastern Europe has already begun seeing drought conditions and this could spread, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
C3S forecasters have said June, July and August will also see below average rainfall for southern and eastern Europe.
Maps released by NASA using data from satellites shows the threat to Europe, with the dark red areas showing very dry conditions.
The darkest areas are conditions which should only occur about once in every 50 years.
Areas which are yellow, orange and lighter red have less water than usual, while the blue areas have an abundance.
It has sparked fears for food production across the continent, with dry and hot conditions potentially destroying crops.
Recent rains in Europe have reduced the threat from the hot weather but fears loom its not enough ahead of a forecast baking summer.
It comes as nations such as Spain and Britain sweltered in a heatwave this week with temperatures of up to 40C.
Wolfgang Wagner, a scientist at Technische Universität Wien, said: "In recent years, Central Europe has experienced a series of droughts caused by exceptionally stable weather patterns and high temperatures that can both be linked to climate change.
"The fact that some regions have experienced drought conditions in several consecutive years has already caused significant damage to forests (due to bark beetle infestation) and declines in groundwater levels."
The warnings come after Poland already reported one of its worst droughts in 100 years in May.
More than 40 rivers and streams fell below normal levels, and more than two thirds of the country suffered agricultural drought.
The lack of water even became a problem from producing electricity, as power plants couldn't draw enough water for cooling.
Climatologists in the Czech Republic also recorded a drought in May, with some calling it the country's worst in 500 years.
Scientists also have warned another major drought in Europe could cause havoc of the global food industry.
The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor has placed much of central and eastern Europe on "watch" for drought conditions impacting agriculture.
Brian Barker, a scientist at the University of Maryland, said: "From the global food security and agricultural commodities perspective,
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He added: "Europe is important because it is one of the largest wheat-producing regions in the world, and also a major maize-producing region.
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"Both wheat and maize are major food security crops.
"The persistent rainfall deficits, combined with the above-average temperatures since winter, have negatively affected large areas across Europe, reducing forecasted crop yields compared to the five-year average in a number of countries.”