articleEarth s FutureMar 1, 2022GOLD OA

The 2018–2020 Multi‐Year Drought Sets a New Benchmark in Europe

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research · Czech University of Life Sciences Prague · +2 more institutions

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Abstract

Abstract During the period 2018–2020, Europe experienced a series of hot and dry weather conditions with significant socioeconomic and environmental consequences. Yet, the extremity of these multi‐year dry conditions is not recognized. Here, we provide a comprehensive spatio‐temporal assessment of the drought hazard over Europe by benchmarking past exceptional events during the period from 1766 to 2020. We identified the 2018–2020 drought event as a new benchmark having an unprecedented intensity that persisted for more than 2 years, exhibiting a mean areal coverage of 35.6% and an average duration of 12.2 months. What makes this event truly exceptional compared with past events is its near‐surface air…

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