The dry and warm winter is already leading to drought in southern and western Europe. The effects are already visible in France, Spain and northern Italy, according to a report by the European Commission presented on Monday. This is noticeable, for example, in the water levels of the rivers or the soil moisture. This was accompanied by concerns about water supply, energy production and agriculture.

In addition, it snowed significantly less than average in the Alps, according to the report - the snowmelt, which otherwise causes the rivers to swell in spring and early summer, will therefore be significantly less. The southern and eastern Mediterranean are also said to be experiencing warmer and drier conditions than usual.

According to the authors of the report, how the current drought and its effects will develop depends on how much precipitation there is in the coming weeks. "Europe and the Mediterranean could experience an extreme summer similar to 2022 this year," it said.