One factor is playing an increasingly significant role in the drought across Europe: not only is there a lack of rain, but extreme heat is also causing the soil to lose moisture at an ever-faster rate.

The current drought in Europe is continuing to worsen. A new study by scientists from twelve countries shows that it is not only the lack of rain that is to blame, but above all the dramatic increase in evaporation caused by rising temperatures.

As temperatures rise, the atmosphere’s "thirst" increases rapidly, thereby drawing even more moisture from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the soil.

According to the researchers, agricultural soil droughts in Western Europe are now around five times more likely, and in Eastern Europe as much as eleven times more likely, than they were before industrialisation. Even small deficits in rainfall are now sufficient to trigger drought conditions.

The consequences are already being felt: crop failures, water restrictions, and rising food prices are putting many regions under pressure. Without a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, hot and dry summers could become the new normal in Europe in future.