Prolonged drought has been affecting the Rio Grande basin for several years. A Satellite loop released on September 15, 2026, showed the declining water levels in the Elephant Butte Reservoir and the smaller Caballo Reservoir to its south over the last 15 years. NASA had earlier reported that the reservoir stood at 1.4% of capacity on July 27, its lowest level since 1971.
El Salvador declared a nationwide Red Alert for meteorological and agricultural drought on August 25, while Honduras expanded its drought Red Alert from 75 to 103 municipalities on August 26. Panama also declared a national state of emergency under Resolution No. 102-26 in response to El Niño-related risks, including drought, flooding and landslides. The measures come amid rainfall deficits, prolonged dry periods and increasing water stress as El Niño continues to strengthen.
Uganda launched emergency food relief operations on July 9, 2026, after the government reported 16 deaths from causes associated with food shortages in the drought-hit Karamoja sub-region, where prolonged dry conditions have caused widespread crop failures and prompted additional emergency assistance for the worst-affected districts.
Exceptional drought (D4) has returned to parts of the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma for the first time since July 2023, according to the National Weather Service Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center (ABRFC). Drought conditions continue worsening across large parts of the Southern Plains following one of the driest and warmest starts to spring on record. Extreme Drought (D3) conditions are already affecting 36% of the Arkansas-Red Basin, while forecasters warned that very dry conditions are expected to persist across western portions of the region.
North Korea reported a severe drought affecting early-season crops across the country on April 30, 2026, prompting nationwide irrigation efforts to protect wheat and barley production. The dry conditions coincide with existing food shortages, raising concerns over agricultural output during a critical growing period.
Two major wildfires in southeast Georgia have burned over 16 000 ha (40 000 acres) and destroyed 143 structures by April 25, 2026, with federal fire officials reporting extreme fire behavior near the Florida line. The Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County and the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols counties remained 10% contained, with evacuations and road closures in effect.
Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage restrictions will take effect across the Southwest Florida Water Management District region on April 3, 2026, following severe drought conditions and declining water supplies. The order imposes one-day-per-week irrigation limits and additional conservation measures, with stricter enforcement and localized rules implemented by utilities such as Pinellas County.
Florida has entered its worst drought in 25 years, with 100.00% of the state classified in drought categories D0–D4, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Severe to extreme drought now covers 85.46% of the state, marking the most extensive spatial coverage since the 2000–2001 drought event.
Severe drought conditions are affecting over 2 million people across Kenya as of February 2026, following the failure of the short rain season between October and December 2025, which was the driest since 1981. Rainfall across most arid and semi-arid counties reached only 30%–60% of the long-term average, significantly worsening food and water insecurity.
The PGA Tour has canceled the 2026 Sentry Tournament of Champions, originally scheduled for January 8–11 at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, due to severe drought and irrigation restrictions. The event, which has opened the PGA season at Kapalua since 1999, will not be contested at the course for the first time since…
