Central and northern China continues to grapple with a scorching summer, with temperatures in Henan and Hebei provinces reaching 43 °C (109 °F) or higher. An extreme drought warning is in effect and local governments were urged to take emergency measures and disperse all available water sources in the affected areas.
After historic floods recently claimed 172 lives in coastal Brazil, the country now faces a new crisis as fires rage through the Pantanal wetlands. These fires have surged nearly tenfold compared to the same period last year, setting the stage for a potential catastrophe worse than the devastating fires of 2020. With severe to extreme drought conditions expected, the situation is becoming increasingly dire.
Zambia is in the throes of an unprecedented drought, prompted by El Niño, resulting in the driest February recorded since 1981. This natural disaster has compelled the President to declare a state of emergency, with 84 districts suffering and over 1 million ha (2.47 million acres) of crops devastated, causing widespread shortages in essential resources including food and water.
Spain’s Catalonia region is experiencing its worst drought on record, with the Sau Reservoir, a crucial water source, severely depleted as seen in March 2024 satellite images. The past three years have marked the driest period since 1914, prompting the Catalan government to declare a drought emergency on February 1, 2024, and impose water consumption restrictions on its residents and businesses.
Areas of severe rainfall deficiency are expanding in Australia, following the country’s driest September on record, affecting the nation’s farm production and contributing to a 41% predicted fall in average farm incomes in the 2023–24 financial year.
Panama’s authorities have limited shipping traffic in the Panama Canal due to a severe drought that depletes the water reserves of two artificial lakes — Alhajuela and Gatun — supplying the vital waterway.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the first full water supply allocation since 2006, benefiting 27 million residents across California after a record winter.
The water level in Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, has risen significantly this month, providing relief to local residents who rely on the water source.
Uruguay is grappling with a worsening drought crisis that has left 75 000 people affected across five departments and hit the agricultural sector hard.
On August 12, 2022, River Rhine in Kaub, Germany dropped below a key waterline level of 40 cm (15.7 inches), used as a benchmark for determining its navigability.
