2022 European drought
During the summer of 2022, parts of Europe experienced drought conditions exacerbated by heat waves. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said it seems to be Europe's worst year in 500 years. A report from the Global Drought Observatory has confirmed this. The drought had serious consequences for hydropower generation and the cooling systems of nuclear power plants, as the drought reduced the amount of river water available for cooling. Agriculture in Europe was also negatively affected by the drought. France 

Much of France experienced a drought. In early August, two-thirds of the country was at crisis alert. It has reportedly been caused by the historic heatwaves that have hit the country. July was reportedly the driest month in France for 60 years. By August, 100 villages had run out of drinking water. Water use was restricted in nearly all metropolitan departments of France. The Prime Minister of France Élisabeth Borne has called it "the country's worst drought in history". On 5 August, she announced the creation of an inter-ministerial crisis unit. The national corn harvest was expected to be 18.5% lower than 2021. Milk shortages are expected to follow. Conversely, salt farms have benefited from the hot temperatures. In July and August Gironde experienced numerous wild fires, see 2022 European and Mediterranean wildfires. Germany 
As of August 2022, the River Rhine's water level had fallen so much that shipping was affected. The water level in Emmerich sunk to -3 cm, being 10 cm lower than the previous record from 2018. The normal water level is 239 cm. Due to the low water levels, the cost of transporting goods multiplied because ships were only able to load 25-35% of their usual freight. On 24 August, 54% of the German area was affected by an extraordinary drought. Further 24.6% by an extreme and further 12.2% by a severe drought. Many districts and states banned water extraction from creeks, rivers and lakes, the watering of lawns, filling of pools or cleaning cars. By mid August, the number of forest fires in the state of Brandenburg was three times as high than in all of 2021. Italy 
A state of emergency was declared in July 2022. Drought was blamed for the deaths of dozens of cows. Northern Italy experienced a drying up of important rivers like the Po. Romania 
Water restrictions were introduced in Romania in July 2022 in preparation for drought. Serbia 
Low water levels in the Danube River exposed the wrecks of dozens of German warships, sunk in late 1944 to block passage to the Soviets. The wrecks are still laden with ammunition and explosives, and present a safety hazard. Spain and Portugal 
The Iberian Peninsula experienced a drought. Water shortages were prevalent in Spain, leading to rationing. Portugal has also declared a drought crisis. United Kingdom 

July 2022 was the driest July in England since 1935. According to Sky News, in one in seven counties, it was the driest July since records began in 1836. As a result, hosepipe bans were introduced in some parts of South East England. Fields and heathland dried up. On 12 August, a hosepipe ban came into force by South East Water. Drought-like conditions also affected South West England. On 12 August, a drought was declared in eight of the 14 Environment Agency areas: Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Herts and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and the East Midlands. Electricity supplies are reportedly threatened. Reservoir levels are at a 25-year low. A drought was declared in the West Midlands region on 23 August, with the Environment Agency warning it had been using groundwater resources and reserves from reservoirs in Wales to help maintain the flows of the River Severn, which supplies six million people in the area. On 15 August, a hosepipe ban was introduced in Cornwall for the first time in 26 years. On 18 August, a hosepipe ban in South West Wales was introduced affecting Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water said that it would be likely to last into September. Hosepipe bans were also declared by Thames Water. On 19 August, a drought was declared in north Ceredigion, Teifi, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen, Swansea, Llanelli, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend. The River Black Bourn in Suffolk is reportedly "near dead". On 30 August, a drought was declared in South West England, covering Bristol, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Dorset and parts of Wiltshire. Parts of Yorkshire experienced their driest period on record and emergency pipes were laid. In December 2022, Yorkshire Water lifted the hosepipe ban after three months. The Cornwall hosepipe ban continued to be active into 2023, and was extended to cover large parts of Devon on 25 April 2023. This was done in an attempt to replenish water levels at the Roadford Reservoir ahead of that year's summer. See also
 Climate change in Europe
 1540 European drought
 2022 heat waves
 2022 European heat waves
 2023 European drought
 2020–2023 North American drought

References

2022 droughts
Drought
2022 meteorology
2022 drought
Drought
August 2022 events in France
August 2022 events in Germany
August 2022 events in Italy
August 2022 events in Romania
August 2022 events in Spain
August 2022 events in Portugal
August 2022 events in the United Kingdom