Dried up riverbeds, dried up fields: the devastating images of last year’s massive drought have revealed the dramatic signs of climate catastrophe. But the situation has hardly improved during the cold months. Due to the low rainfall in winter, experts expect even worse effects this year.
The signs for the next summer of drought in Europe are becoming more and more concrete. While groundwater levels in Europe have barely recovered, precipitation in the Alps was significantly lower than normal – the lack of snow could have fatal consequences in the warmer half of the year.
Situation up to twice as bad as last year
The effects are particularly drastic in the southern countries: regions in France are already limiting water use and Italy has now appointed its own special commissioner for water shortages. Italian hydrologist Christian Massari explains via Twitter that even a very wet year like 1980 would not be enough to allow nature to fully recover this year.
In fact, his analyzes would indicate that the drought in 2023 could even be about twice as bad as in the previous year. As the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPEI) shows, short-intermittent droughts have been steadily increasing since 1990. The road to climate catastrophe is now clear.
Dry lakes, hardly any snow
In Germany, too, one can already guess that the situation will probably become difficult again in the summer. For example, the groundwater lakes near Wiener Neustadt, which were in the spotlight last year, are almost dry again this winter – and a look at the Austrian Alps also shows that there is much less snow than usual in many places – water that is probably painful will be missing in the spring.
Signs of return from El Niño
The global climate situation could also worsen as the El Niño weather phenomenon is about to return. Due to the changed air currents at high altitudes, the last dominant La Niña period – which is more representative of cooling – has been exceptionally long.
Now, however, there are growing signs that El Niño will take over again – and with it, warming temperatures worldwide.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
