August 2025 marked the driest month in Europe and the Mediterranean since record-keeping began in 2012, with 53% of soils affected by drought, significantly surpassing the historical average of 30.1%.

Eastern Europe and the Balkans faced severe drought conditions, with countries like Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, and North Macedonia experiencing drought levels at or above 90%, resulting in wildfires, fatalities, and evacuations.

Turkey saw 84% of its territory suffering from water scarcity, with early August wildfires notably impacting Çanakkale province.

Western Europe experienced intense drought impacts, with Portugal affected by 70% of its territory—up from just 5% in July—and France facing water shortages across two-thirds of its land, especially in the southwest, impacting agriculture and water supply.

The drought conditions in Western Europe were exacerbated by a 70% drop in rainfall in Portugal and a second heat wave in France, intensifying water scarcity and affecting sectors like wine production.

The Copernicus dataset, which uses billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations, confirms a global trend of rising temperatures linked to human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

Multiple types of drought—meteorological, soil, and hydrological—are involved, often occurring simultaneously and impacting water availability and vegetation health, as monitored by satellite-based drought indicators.

The European Drought Observatory (EDO) employs satellite data to monitor drought conditions by analyzing precipitation, soil moisture, and vegetation status, providing levels of warning and alert for different drought types.