• Exceptional drought returns to Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma for first time since July 2023

    ByRishav Kothari

    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.

  • Major Georgia wildfires destroy 143 structures amid severe drought

    ByTeo Blašković

    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.

  • Severe drought triggers water restrictions in Southwest Florida

    ByReet Kaur

    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 enters worst drought in 25 years as extreme conditions expand

    ByReet Kaur

    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.

  • Driest short rains season since 1981 push over 2 million people into crisis-level food insecurity in Kenya

    ByRishav Kothari

    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.

  • PGA cancels 2026 Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii due to drought

    ByRishav Kothari

    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…

  • Severe drought cuts crop yields by up to 85% in parts of Türkiye

    ByReet Kaur

    Prolonged drought and extreme weather events during the 2024/25 agricultural year have caused crop losses of up to 85% in parts of Türkiye, according to the Türkiye Agricultural Chambers Union (TZOB). The impacts are most severe in Central and Southeastern Anatolia, while national output of key cereals, pulses, and vegetables is expected to decline significantly.

  • Iraq launches water initiative as reserves hit 80-year low

    ByRishav Kothari

    The Iraqi government has announced a new water initiative to manage water resources from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as the country records its lowest water reserves in 80 years. Current storage levels are at only 10 billion m³ compared to the seasonal norm of 18 billion m³ threatening the country’s agricultural production.

  • Flash drought gripped U.S. in October 2024

    ByHarsha Borah

    A rapidly intensifying flash drought affected much of the U.S. in October 2024, with 45.3% of the country now under moderate to extreme drought. By October 29, drought had spread across nearly every contiguous state, except Alaska and Kentucky, severely impacting the Midwest, South, and East Coast and affecting over 78% of the population.