More than half of Europe and the Mediterranean basin was affected by drought in the first ten days of August, according to an AFP analysis on Monday of European Drought Observatory (EDO) data.

The 51.3 percent figure is the highest level registered for the period of August 1-10 since data collection began in 2012.

Around half of the area has been affected by drought since mid-April 2025, a situation worse than the severe drought of the summer of 2022.

The Drought Observatory Indicator determined by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service uses satellite imagery to measure precipitation or rainfall, soil moisture and the state of vegetation.

Findings are then categorised into one of three levels of drought: watch, warning and alert -- the last level signalling that vegetation is developing abnormally.

In early August, 7.8 percent of Europe and the Mediterranean basin was on alert, the highest level, while 38.7 percent was on a warning level and 4.9 percent on watch.

The Caucasus and north Balkans regions were most affected by the drought, with Georgia and Armenia affected on 97 percent of their territory, followed by Bulgaria and Kosovo. Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Hungary and Montenegro all saw three quarters of their surface area put on warning or alert.

This area of Europe in July and August experienced heatwaves which led to numerous wildfires, which left one dead in Montenegro, and one in Albania.

Spain, Portugal and Italy, also battered by strong wildfires this month, are currently only affected at a local level. In Britain, however, 69.5 percent and France 63 percent of their territory are affected, according to the EDO.

Central Europe saw the only improvement, with soil humidity and the state of vegetation returning to normal in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, which had been heavily affected over previous months.

According to an AFP count, based on estimates collected by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), fires have already ravaged more than one million hectares (2.5 million acres) in the European Union in 2025, a record amount.

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