Drought in Europe – No rain in Switzerland – Drought in Germany – News

For three weeks, there has been little rain and much crowding in the flat areas of the north side of the Alps. The reason is a region of high pressure settled in northern Europe. As a result, there is a great deal of drought in many places in the north, while it rains in the south.

Meteorologists call the current weather condition the Omega condition. A stable high pressure area over northern Europe is surrounded by low pressure areas in the Mediterranean region. The mode reminds us of the Greek capital letter Omega Ω – which explains the name. The omega site has been piling up since mid-May and is very stable. SRF Meteo isn’t forecasting rain and a change in weather conditions until around June 20.

Soil moisture in Switzerland

In Europe, the weather is different. While there are areas of extreme drought in the north, it rains more in the Mediterranean region.

Germany: Our northern neighbor It expects very high temperatures throughout the summer and warns of severe drought. The situation is not yet dire, but a lack of precipitation is expected, especially in the east of the country. This becomes a problem for agriculture. Some federal states are considering requiring farms to pay for their water use.

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Many fields have completely dried up in northern and eastern Germany, such as here in Brandenburg.

KEYSTONE/DPA/Patrick Balloul

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In Berlin, city employees have to water the plants.

KEYSTONE / DPA / Joerg Carstensen

Southern France: And in the south of France, on the border with Spain, the authorities declared a state of crisis due to the continuing drought. Accordingly, farmers are rarely allowed to water their plants. Individuals also have to limit themselves, and there may also be a failure of the water supply.

Italy: The storm situation does not appear to be abating in Italy. Unstable weather conditions are expected in large parts of the country until June 15. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected in the northern and south-central regions, with the possibility of isolated thunderstorms in the southern regions and on the islands.

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In Italy, it has rained more than usual in many places over the past 30 days.

REUTERS/GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE;

A new weather pattern developing over the Mediterranean Sea is expected to intensify the weather in the southern and south-central regions on June 14-15. Thunderstorms can bring strong winds, lightning and possible hail. These rains can lead to flooding in low-lying areas and landslides on unstable slopes.

Spain: Already in the spring, Spain is exceptionally exposed to forest fires. Especially the area around Valencia. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 300 fires have been counted as of May. Record emission levels were recorded in Spain in May as a result of forest fires. She added that the risks of forest fires were exacerbated by the high temperatures and drought that struck the continent last winter.

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Before the rains of the past few days, Spain had been suffering from a prolonged drought.

European Patent Office / Eduardo Palomo

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Drought was followed by torrential rains, as here in eastern Spain.

European Patent Office / Dominic Castillo

in another place: Overall, the European Union’s Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) reports that the Northern Hemisphere has been hit hard by wildfires this spring. Fires in Spain, Canada, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and some neighboring regions of Russia have been more frequent than average. Record levels of fire emissions were also achieved in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nova Scotia.