In late September, drought conditions remained critical in most of Europe.
During this period, Europe experienced above-average temperatures, while a heatwave in southwestern Europe, France and northwestern Russia.
Detailed analysis of drought conditions
In late September 2026, according to the Combined Drought Indicator (CDI):
Alert drought conditions
Alert conditions persisted in France, large parts of the Danube middle river basin, and the northern Balkans. Alert conditions reduced the extent and locally partially recovered in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, southern Scandinavia, northern and southern Italy, eastern Austria, some small spots in the UK, and Ukraine.
Warning drought conditions
Warning conditions stably persisted in France, large regions of Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, the Alps, several spots in Italy, the Balkans, some regions of Scandinavia, and central-eastern Europe.
Watch drought conditions
Watch conditions persisted or reduced in the Iberian Peninsula, northern Germany, central-southern Italy, few areas in the Balkans, and some areas in eastern Europe.
Normal or recovery drought conditions
Areas with normal or recovery conditions were present in northern-eastern Europe, in some regions of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northernmost regions of Ireland and UK, in most of Türkiye, in the lower Danube basin, in Malta, Cyprus, and locally in some regions of Italy and Greece.
Note: this analysis was performed on 19-10-2026, based on data updated in late September 2026 and computed with version 4.1.1 of the Combined Drought Indicator.
Due to known issues (currently under investigation) that affect the estimated soil moisture, the CDI map may be less reliable in some regions, particularly western Russia. Users may consult the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), available at the European or Global Drought Observatory (EDO/GDO), to get complementary drought data.
There are issues affecting the accuracy of the hydrological model output in the easternmost part of the domain, especially over western Russia. As a result, the Soil Moisture Index Anomaly, the derived Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) and the Low-Flow Index (LFI) should be interpreted with caution since mid-May 2025.We expect the fix to be implemented in the next EDO update using EFAS v6.0 data (late 2026).
In mid-September, drought conditions remained stable yet critical across most of Europe.
During this period, Europe experienced above-average temperatures, while a heatwave over the eastern Mediterranean was gradually weakened.
Detailed analysis of drought conditions
In mid-September 2026, according to the Combined Drought Indicator (CDI):
Alert drought conditions
Alert conditions persisted in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, southern Scandinavia, northern and southern Italy, eastern Austria, large parts of the Danube middle river basin, the northern Balkans, and some small spots in the Iberian Peninsula, the UK, and Ukraine.
Warning drought conditions
Warning conditions stably persisted in France, large regions of Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, the Alps, several spots in Italy, the Balkans, some regions of Scandinavia, and central-eastern Europe.
Watch drought conditions
Watch conditions emerged in the central Iberian Peninsula and persisted in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, northern Germany, central-southern Italy, few areas in the Balkans, north-western Türkiye, and some areas in eastern Europe.
Normal or recovery drought conditions
Areas with normal or recovery conditions were present in northern-eastern Europe, in some regions of the Iberian Peninsula, in the northernmost regions of Ireland and UK, in most of Türkiye, in the lower Danube basin, and locally in some regions of Italy.
Note: this analysis was performed on 29-09-2026, based on data updated in early September 2026 and computed with version 4.1.1 of the Combined Drought Indicator.
Due to known issues (currently under investigation) that affect the estimated soil moisture, the CDI map may be less reliable in some regions, particularly western Russia. Users may consult the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), available at the European or Global Drought Observatory (EDO/GDO), to get complementary drought data.
There are issues affecting the accuracy of the hydrological model output in the easternmost part of the domain, especially over western Russia. As a result, the Soil Moisture Index Anomaly, the derived Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) and the Low-Flow Index (LFI) should be interpreted with caution since mid-May 2025.We expect the fix to be implemented in the next EDO update using EFAS v6.0 data (late 2026).
In early September, drought conditions improved slightly but remained critical in most of Europe. During this period, Europe experienced above-average temperatures, with a heatwave hitting most of southern Europe.
Detailed analysis of drought conditions
Alert drought conditions
Alert conditions persisted in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, western and southern Germany, northern Italy, eastern Austria, large parts of the Danube middle river basin, the northern Balkans, and some spots in the northern Iberian Peninsula, the UK and eastern Ukraine. The spatial extent of alert conditions decreased slightly in southern France and northern Italy.
Warning drought conditions
Warning conditions stably persisted in France, western and southern Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, the Alps, northern and central Italy, the Balkans, some regions of Scandinavia, and central-eastern Europe. The spatial extent of alert conditions decreased slightly in the northern Iberian Peninsula.
Watch drought conditions
Watch conditions partially recovered in the Iberian Peninsula. Watch conditions persisted in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, northern Germany, central-southern Italy, the Balkans, north-western Türkiye, and eastern Europe. Watch conditions emerged in southern Scandinavia and lower Danube basin.
Normal or recovery drought conditions
Areas with normal or recovery conditions were present in northern-eastern Europe, in the south-western Iberian Peninsula, in the northernmost regions of Ireland and UK, in most of Türkiye, in the lower Danube basin, and locally in some central-southern regions in Italy.
Note: this analysis was performed on 17-09-2026, based on data updated in early September 2026 and computed with version 4.1.1 of the Combined Drought Indicator.
Due to known issues (currently under investigation) that affect the estimated soil moisture, the CDI map may be less reliable in some regions, particularly western Russia. Users may consult the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), available at the European or Global Drought Observatory (EDO/GDO), to get complementary drought data.
There are issues affecting the accuracy of the hydrological model output in the easternmost part of the domain, especially over western Russia. As a result, the Soil Moisture Index Anomaly, the derived Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) and the Low-Flow Index (LFI) should be interpreted with caution since mid-May 2025.We expect the fix to be implemented in the next EDO update using EFAS v6.0 data (late 2026).