Last year Europe had one of the hottest summers on record, and this year, drought alarms are being sounded again in several countries. According to the European Drought Observatory, drought is a problem in a significant part of Europe, with red being the most serious 'alert' status, green being safe and darker yellow being a more serious drought problem. With water shortages likely to affect electricity production and lead to a new increase in the price of gas and electricity, it is not too late to install PV.
In Spain
The previous March saw only 36% of the historical average for precipitation across Spain and temperatures for the month were 1.8 degrees Celsius above the historical average, making this March the hottest March in Spain in the last 100 years. The average rainfall across Spain this April was 14.2mm, around 22% of the previous year. As a result of the drought, the average water level in reservoirs across Spain is only 25% of the maximum level, and in Catalonia, where the drought is most severe, some reservoirs are on the verge of drying up, and the region has now banned the opening of private swimming pools and restricted the flow of water for agriculture by 40%.
Cordoba in southern Spain recorded the highest temperature ever recorded in the country in April at 38.8 degrees Celsius. The dry weather in Spain, which has lasted for more than 100 days, has led to a number of recent warehouse disasters, with two to three warehouse fires in the warehouse district of Madrid alone between last week and today. In addition to this, reservoirs have dried up, crops have been damaged and a series of other extreme effects have been caused by the hot weather.
Cristobal Cano, secretary general of the Spanish regional body, the Union of Small Farmers, said that Spain, which is a major European fruit and vegetable country, has started to fall into pessimism as there has been little rain since January and the ground is very dry. The drought and reduced yields could lead to higher prices for basic agricultural products in Europe, while the cost of living could become increasingly high.
In Italy
Ramona Magno of the Italian National Research Council revealed that precipitation has been below average throughout the Po basin, and that the level of the Po at the beginning of April was the lowest in 30 years. Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, said that reservoir levels across the region were only half the historical average.
Confagricoltura, the Italian agricultural federation, estimates that at least 50,000 farmers are now affected, with direct economic losses to agriculture amounting to €1.5 billion. According to the association, last summer's drought already caused €6 billion in losses to Italian agriculture, and if the drought continues this year, more than 300,000 farmers will suffer losses. The Italian farmers' union Coldiretti has also warned that this spring's harvest of rice, maize and other major crops is at risk.
In France
Environment Minister Christophe Béchu has warned that the amount of water available could fall by between 10% and 40% in the coming years. The French Meteorological Office recorded 32 consecutive days of zero precipitation in the country during February, making it the driest February in France since 1959, and Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales even experienced extreme conditions in April when drinking water was interrupted. And in parts of Southern France, the use of private swimming pools faces a fine of €1,500. Water restrictions have been imposed in several areas, with residents banned from filling swimming pools or washing cars and local farmers having to halve their water consumption.
In Austria
Last summer's ecological disaster in Austria's Thousand Lakes Park was brought about by a severe drought, yet this year the lake here is still at its lowest level on record, drying out the bed of the Zicke, with cracks that are alarming to the eye. Austria is not a country short of water, says Professor Roman, and its relatively warm and humid climate, the snowy Alps and the many rivers within its borders make it a better water resource than many regions. But successive droughts in recent years have lowered groundwater levels in the Austrian plains, which is why many lakes are at low levels or have even dried up.
With the current frequency of extreme weather, there are increasing signs that the summer of 2023 may not be a good one as we approach summer. Excessive gas prices and electricity bills are bound to be burdensome for millions of households. The installation of solar photovoltaic panels is certainly the best option, and you can install batteries so that the electricity you don't use can be sold to the state.、
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