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The Czech science portal VědaVýzkum.cz features the Clim4Cast project and its activities. The portal aims to bring together information about developments in research and innovation, provide updates on science policy, and support discussion about both the successes and challenges of Czech science. More here 🔗 https://vedavyzkum.cz/veda/veda/cesky-monitoring-sucha-patri-ve-stredni-evrope-k-nejlepsim-v-evrope-se-sucho-v-dalsich-dnech-prohloubi

Drought monitoring helps reduce economic and environmental impacts by enabling early warnings and better resource management planning. In Europe, several operational monitoring systems exist at national and regional levels. However, these systems are rarely validated, which complicates decision-making processes. A new study (led by Nirajan Luintel) presents a quantitative comparison of national drought monitoring products in Central Europe. The authors conducted a quantitative comparison of drought monitoring products in Austria, Czechia, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, using a newly developed impact database derived from national newspaper archives covering the period 2000–2023. Read more here 🔗 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-026-02536-8

The international Interreg CE Clim4Cast project, which has been connecting scientific teams from seven European countries for the past three years, culminated in a final conference held on 27–28 January. The event was hosted by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CzechGlobe), in cooperation with the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, and other project partners. In a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, experts explained, for example, how heatwaves threaten human health 🤷‍♂️, introduced the newly observed phenomenon of so-called “green drought” 🍃, and especially valuable was the presentation from the Fire Rescue Service 🧑‍🚒, which described what is involved in responding to exceptionally large-scale wildfires. At the same time, the results of work on building the platform itself were presented ➡️ https://clim4cast.eu/, which is available in seven language versions and represents the first unified platform of its kind in Central Europe.

The Clim4Cast project was presented at the European Meteorological Society (EMS) Annual Meeting, which took place in Ljubljana between 8 and 12 September 2025. Gregor Gregorič from Slovenian Environemnt Agency participated in the session on agricultural meteorology and forestry applications, where he presented an overview of the Clim4Cast project and its implementation in Slovenia. The presentation focused on the application of results from the DHF Forecasting Tool, which provides daily analyses and forecasts processed at ARSO. Possible ways of integrating these outputs into Slovenia’s operational drought monitoring system “Sušomer” (Droughtmeter) were also discussed. ARSO’s contribution highlighted how Clim4Cast results can support operational drought monitoring and climate-resilient decision-making in agriculture and forestry, strengthening the link between research, forecasting, and practical applications. Lukáš Dolák from Mararyk University attended the session on climate risks, their assessments and tools, where he introduced the database of drought, heatwave, and forest fire/wildfire events (DHF). The database itself includes DHF events from seven countries participating in the Clim4Cast project, spanning the 2000–2023 period. Except for a general overview, Lukáš also presented two severity indices based on the DHF database, as well as the occurrence and impacts of compound events. The DHF database represents one of the most crucial project outcomes compiled by all project partners. It can serve as an exceptionally valuable source of information not only about the DHF impacts on human society, landscape, and various sectors, but also reveals so far hidden consequences of cross-border DHF events.

From 29 September to 1 October 2025, the ARSO team participated in the Climateurope2 Festival, held in Belgrade under the title “Empowering society through climate services.” The Climateurope2 Festivals aim to connect the European climate services community. The project seeks to standardize the provision of accessible and high-quality climate services that are useful for different social sectors and end users. The Festival featured numerous panels, thematic discussions, and interactive workshops, and ARSO took part in the Marketplace, presenting several projects they are involved in — among them, Clim4Cast. At the Marketplace, Clim4Cast was presented to the international climate services community, highlighting its main products: the impact database, the forecasting tool, and the process for preparing action plans. Clim4Cast was also featured in the keynote presentation by Andreja Sušnik (ARSO), who demonstrated how project datasets are used in the DroughtWatch tool and compared with other approaches for drought monitoring.

The 37th International Conference on Alpine Meteorology (ICAM2025) was held in Poreč, Croatia, from 29 September to 3 October 2025. On 1 October 2025, within the Climate session, Mislav Anić, national coordinator of the Clim4Cast project for Croatia, delivered a presentation titled Impact of climate change on forestry and agriculture in Highland Croatia (Mislav Anić, Ksenija Cindrić Kalin, Kornelija Špoler Čanić, Antonio Stanešić). In his presentation, he highlighted the vulnerability of forestry and agriculture in Highland Croatia under changing climate conditions, while also introducing the Clim4Cast project and its expected outcomes. Participation in ICAM2025 provided an opportunity to present Clim4Cast to the international scientific community and exchange knowledge with experts in alpine and mountain meteorology.

Keeping up-to-date on drought conditions, the risk of heatwaves, wildfires, and also the impacts of extreme weather events and climate-related phenomena in general, is something our team considers both a part of our work and our mission. In order to provide awareness and the most objective information effectively and quickly—and to make this information easily accessible in one place—we decided to bring to life the idea of a regular weekly “bulletin,” which originated within the Intersucho team. The aim is to capture the most recent developments. The information, prepared as a weekly news summary, is designed primarily for the general public, professional organizations, and the media, but we believe it can be valuable to anyone interested. At the beginning of each issue, you will find an overview of the situation, especially updates on drought development, wildfires, and heatwaves in Europe and worldwide, as well as summary information from the monitoring and forecasting systems of the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences – CzechGlobe. These include websites such as Intersucho, Heatwaves, Clim4Cast, Firerisk, Agrorisk, Dendronet, Crop Yields, Phenophases, and others. The first issue is available for download below, and every Tuesday it will also be regularly published on the CzechGlobe website (https://www.czechglobe.cz/cs/media-a-pr/intersucho-bulletin/). The bulletin is only in Czech. If you would like to receive this information regularly and directly in your email inbox, please write to us at hojdanova.m@czechglobe.cz.

Videos of the aftermath of a recent stubble fire in a field in the village of Reca (western Slovakia), caused by a spark on the header of a combine harvester during a harvest. The fire was brought under control thanks to the quick intervention of firefighters from the HS in Pezinok and Senec, and members of the DHZO Reca, Senec, Pezinok, Veľký Grob, Budmerice, Blatné, Boldog, Kráľová pri Senci, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Veľké Úľany, Voderady.

After very warm and dry weather, a significant change came last week. In addition to a noticeable cooling, the Low Gabriel also brought with it long-awaited heavier rainfall, especially in western and central Slovakia. Thanks to the heavy rainfall, the meteorological drought in western Slovakia and to a large extent also in central Slovakia was ended last week. In eastern Slovakia, the Low Gabriel brought mainly strong winds, which caused significant damage in several locations, but in terms of precipitation, the low pressure area was insignificant and brought only partial relief from the drought. The rain helped to moisten mainly the top layer of soil up to 40 cm, which is also reflected in the relative soil saturation in the entire soil profile (0-100 cm). Soil saturation values up to 30% occur in almost 51% of the area of Slovakia. In western Slovakia, the relative soil saturation in the lower layer is still below 10%, in the Banská Bystrica, Košice and partly in the Prešov region, the lower soil layer is saturated only up to 20%. If we compare the drought this year with drought 2022, we find that this year clearly surpassed it, especially in terms of soil drought. While in 2022, the soil drought peaked at the end of July, when extreme drought (S5) covered 59.7% of the territory of Slovakia, this year the drought peaked at the beginning of July, and the S5 category covered up to 87.5% of the territory. This is up to a quarter of the territory of Slovakia more than in 2022. Moreover, its development was not gradual from spring to summer as in 2022, but we recorded exceptional to extreme drought in some regions also at the end of winter, during spring and summer.

With the onset of this year’s cereal harvest, air temperatures rise to June records. Overheated combine harvesters are often the cause of rapidly spreading fires that munch away the bone-dry stubbles in the fields. Usually dying off soon by the lack of further fuel, field fires can still create sparks that can start fires in nearby forests, where there is much more fuel available for major disasters.

Currently, drought impact monitoring reporters are reporting a lack of precipitation across the entire territory of Slovakia, which, in combination with high air temperatures and wind, is significantly worsening soil moisture conditions. In eastern Slovakia, crop stands are already visibly suffering from a lack of moisture, with phenological phases accelerating and shortening, and potato plants wilting. Forage crops are the most affected by the lack of rainfall. Dry pastures have also been reported near Krupina (Central Slovakia). An increased occurrence of pests, especially aphids, is also a problemIn the Danubian Lowland, reporters are noting problems with cereal crops, which are scorching and drying out before ripening. The Regional Agricultural and Food Chamber (RPPK) Bratislava reports a reduced number of tillers and, consequently, lower yields in both winter and spring barley. Leaf rolling in maize has also been reported in this region, while in some areas of eastern Slovakia, stunted maize stands have been documented, as confirmed by the Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) in the Vranov nad Topľou district (Eastern Slovakia). Cracks in the soil due to moisture deficits have been reported from several locations across Slovakia. . A drop in groundwater levels is becoming an issue as well. The lack of rainfall is also evident in the small size of berry fruits, with plants showing poor growth, which negatively affects future yields. Wilting of young fruit trees—plums, peaches, apricots—is observed, along with poorly developed small fruits and the drying out of permanent grasslands. Very dry conditions have persisted for quite some time, with only brief periods of atmospheric precipitation. Drought symptoms in forest tree species tend to appear later compared to agricultural crops. During dry periods, vegetation attempts to prevent water loss through its leaves by closing stomata. In the case of prolonged and intense drought, such as in 2025, stomata remain closed for extended periods, preventing leaves from performing photosynthesis properly, leading to significant chlorophyll loss and yellowing. As a result, leaves fall prematurely from trees under extreme stress. Tree species particularly sensitive to drought stress include European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), silver birch (Betula pendula L.), and elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.). These species are currently showing signs of trying to prevent further water loss from their trunks and root systems. Repeated premature leaf drop due to drought during the growing season significantly weakens trees and makes them more susceptible to secondary pest infestations. In the past two weeks, foresters have also reported worsening water balance in the Liptov region, which is evident from the decreased water levels in streams and the loss of rich green color in spruce stands. However, this has not yet affected new plantings in the area. More information and pictures of drought impacts can be found at: https://www.shmu.sk/sk/index.php?page=2049&id=1637

Miroslav Trnka describes the new website that monitors heat waves (with a 9-day forecast) and also mentions the activities of the project Clim4Cast. The interview was published online via the Czech social magazine Respect podcast.

Miroslav Trnka describes the new website monitoring Heat Waves for Czech TV (Studio 6). He explains two parameters that define the intensity of heat waves and mentions the 9-day forecast for both parameters.

The risk of heat waves (weather with very high temperatures lasting several days) is increasing and their occurrence is closely linked to drought. Heat waves and drought interact with each other and have a negative impact on the water regime in the landscape as well as on vegetation, agricultural production and human health. We have therefore launched a new project aimed at monitoring, forecasting and tracking this negative climatic phenomenon in the Czech Republic.

Polish consultations on the proactive drought management framework were conducted during a meeting of the National Network of Demonstration Farms in Warsaw (https://gospodarstwademonstracyjne.cdr.gov.pl/). The event was attended by representatives of the Regional Agricultural Advisory Centers, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, affiliated research institutes, agricultural schools, and farmers involved in the Demonstration Farm Network. The meeting addressed issues related to drought risk management—before, during, and after its occurrence. The consultations were interactive in nature. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to support the development of a communication strategy, answering questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the current legal framework related to drought in Poland and offering suggestions on how drought risk management could be improved. The project coordinator in Poland, Jerzy Kozyra, presented the scope and main objectives of the Clim4Cast project. Using a current drought analysis based on indicators available on the Clim4Cast project website (https://clim4cast.czechglobe.cz/), he introduced a new approach to monitoring droughts, heatwaves, and fire risk. He also outlined the key features of the current drought risk management system in Poland, as well as the concept of proactive drought risk management in agriculture.

The Clim4Cast project was recently mentioned in a press release discussing the increasing risk of drought in Germany. The report highlights Clim4Cast’s role in monitoring soil moisture anomalies and assessing drought impacts, reinforcing its importance for climate resilience efforts. According to recent model simulations, March 2025 recorded only 21% of the average precipitation (1991–2020), making it the sixth driest March since 1881. In northern Germany, soil moisture levels are critically low, even drier than in 2018. If dry conditions persist, agriculture could face challenges such as delayed germination and increased drought stress for young crops. Additionally, the lack of rainfall has already led to wildfire warnings in Bavaria and Brandenburg. The recognition of Clim4Cast in this press coverage highlights its growing importance among experts and decision-makers. By providing advanced drought forecasting tools, the project supports efforts to improve preparedness and mitigation strategies for extreme weather conditions in Germany.

During the celebration of World Meteorological Day and World Water Day on 21st March 2025 in Osijek, early warning systems contributing to Croatia’s climate resilience were presented. Among the key projects highlighted was Clim4Cast, which aims to improve monitoring, forecasting, and warnings for droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires. Tomislav Kozarić, Croatian Clim4Cast’s team member and Head of the Analysis and Verification Division at Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ), emphasized that Clim4Cast provides an opportunity to develop more precise forecasts, enabling timely responses and reducing the impact of extreme weather events. The project builds on existing early warning systems, such as the Early Warning and Crisis Management System (SRUUK) and offers additional support to farmers through specialized forecasts and tools such as the Agroclimatic Atlas of Croatia. On March 23, 2025, World Meteorological Day, Tomislav Kozarić was a guest on the live Studio 4 program, where he discussed the importance of early warning systems and the role of Clim4Cast in strengthening climate resilience. For more information visit the DHMZ’s website official: https://meteo.hr/objave_najave_natjecaji.php?section=onn&param=objave&el=dogadjanja&daj=do21032025 Presentation is available here: https://klima.hr/razno/dogadjanja/SMD2025_Tomislav_Kozaric.pdf

The Croatian consultations on drought, heatwaves, and wildfire (DHF) management were held from March 4 to 6, 2025, in Zagreb. The event was organized by DHMZ with the support of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology of the University of Zagreb. Participating stakeholders included associated partners: the Ministry of the Interior (Directorate of Civil Protection) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, as well as representatives of other ministries and relevant institutions. Participants actively discussed the current DHF management, focusing on the legal framework, data sharing, and communication. The aim of the consultations was to identify responsible institutions, assess the current situation, and propose improvements. Based on the conclusions of the consultations, a national action plan will be developed and shared with stakeholders and decision-makers for feedback. The consultations were highly successful, generating strong interest in cross-sectoral collaboration. Croatia has a well-organized wildfire protection system, while there is room for improvement in heatwave protection. The drought management system, however, remains reactive and insufficiently developed on national level. At both the national and local levels, drought monitoring lacks a forecasting component, making it more difficult to mitigate drought impacts.

On March 7, a wildfire erupted at Heissenplatte near Bayrischzell, potentially caused by a Daxen fire spreading uncontrollably. The blaze affected 100,000 square meters of forest and land. Firefighting operations, involving local fire brigades, mountain rescue teams, THW, and multiple helicopters from Bavaria and Tyrol, lasted until Sunday. Initially, police helicopters identified the extent of the fire, prompting a large-scale emergency response. By Friday evening, open flames were under control, and aerial water drops continued into Saturday to eliminate remaining embers. Ground teams then moved in to secure the area. The Miesbach Criminal Investigation Department is leading the inquiry into the cause of the fire. Authorities emphasize the importance of fire prevention, particularly in dry conditions.

The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) hosted a group of stakeholders in Berlin during the national consultation on drought and wildfire management in Germany. The consultation aimed at exchanging on current mechanisms of early warning, detecting and battling of wildfires and on current strategies on dealing with heavy drought events in Germany and its border regions and identified current bottlenecks and potentials for improving workflows, awareness and preparedness along the actor chain. The participants represented national authorities and service providers (e.g. Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food, German Weather Service), but also industry partners and consultants. The information from discussion will be used to identify pathways towards improving action plans in the federal states of Germany for which cross-border collaboration is essential. The forecasting products of the Clim4Cast project were discussed in the light of what is already existing and implemented in Germany, and further information on the further development of the project and its products was welcomed.

Already in mid-January, we informed for the first time about the persistent meteorological drought, which is also beginning to manifest itself in the soil moisture. The situation has not improved over the past four weeks. On the contrary, the absence of significant area precipitation continues to deepen the negative moisture balance, especially in the western half of Slovakia. The meteorological drought lasts for 97 to 100 days in the entire Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra and Trenčín regions, but also in the western part of the Žilina and Banská Bystrica regions. The drought is the most intense in the Danubian Lowland, where the precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) indicate extreme dry conditions. The long-lasting meteorological drought was evidently transferred to the relative soil moisture and the intensity of the soil drought. In the top layer of the soil (up to a depth of 40 cm), which is important for farmers, we are currently monitoring significant to exceptional drought over almost whole western Slovakia. Locally, in Záhorie, Hronská pahorkatina and the surroundings of Bratislava, we even experience extreme soil drought. The relative soil moisture in the Danubian Lowland varies between 30-50%, not only in the top layer of the soil (up to a depth of 40 cm), but also in the entire soil profile up to 1 m. The limit of 50% is the point of reduced availability, while values below this threshold mean stress for the vegetation due to lack of moisture. This impact not only forest stands, but also fruit trees and winter crops. In the near future, they will probably be stressed by bare frosts (frosts without the presence of a snow cover that would protect the stands) due to the influx of dry Arctic air from the polar region. Due to the nature of the weather occurring in the 20-day window as of 9/2/2025 (±10 days around the selected date), which occurred during the reference period 1961-2015, the probability of normal or wetter conditions in almost all of western Slovakia during the next 2 months is only 10 to 20%. This means that if the typical weather pattern for this area continues over the next two months, we will continue to experience soil drought for the next 8 weeks. This can cause serious problems especially for the farmers, but also for the foresters in the most affected areas. The whole report about current situation is available at https://www.shmu.sk/sk/?page=2049&id=1585. Weekly updated information on the state of meteorological drought can be found on the SHMÚ meteorological drought monitoring page: https://www.shmu.sk/sk/?page=1&id=meteo_sucho. Weekly updated information on the state of soil drought can be found on the Intersucho portal: https://www.intersucho.sk/sk

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute hosted the key stakeholders during the national consultation related to a drought management in Slovakia. The main aim of the consultation was a discussion about the existing drought management, the identification of its weak points and suggestions how to improve it to increase the preparedness on drought events in the future. The participants represented various sectors and policy levels from national authorities (Ministry of Environment of SR), though sectoral organizations (Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber, Fruit-Union of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Vegetables and Potato Growers' Union, Association of Slovak Young Farmers, Hydromeliorácie, state enterprise) to academic sector (Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Research Institute of Plant Production, Technical University in Zvolen). The information from discussion will be the main base for the proposal of the national action plan for improvement of DHF management in Slovakia, which is one of the outputs of the Clim4Cast project. The meeting was much appreciated. There is high interest of relevant stakeholders to cooperate with SHMI to increase preparedness and awareness about drought in Slovakia.

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute hosted the key stakeholders during the national consultation related to a heat waves management in Slovakia. The main aim of the consultation was a discussion about the existing heat wave management, the identification of its weak points and suggestions how to improve it to increase the preparedness on heat waves occurrence in the future. The participants represented various sectors and policy levels from national authorities (Ministry of Environment of SR, Ministry of Health of SR, Ministry of Interior of SR, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of SR, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of SR), though sectoral organizations (Institute of Health Analysis, Public Health Authority of SR, Slovak Hydrometeorological Institite) to academic sector (University Hospital in Martin, Department of Public Health of Trnava University, Animal Production Research Centre Nitra). The information from discussion will be the main base for the proposal of the national action plan for improvement of DHF management in Slovakia, which is one of the outputs of the Clim4Cast project. Further, the forecasting products of the Clim4Cast project were much appreciated and there is high interest of relevant stakeholders in their implementation into praxis.

Despite the fact that we have a winter period during which the vegetation is at a standstill, the current drought warns us of possible problems in the spring and summer. Recharge of moisture in the soil and groundwater during the cold half-year is an important factor for the moisture conditions, especially in the spring. Considering the results of the study for Slovakia, which was published last year, we notice a significant increase in dry months during the spring. Due to the fact that spring drought often recurs, a moisture deficit already in the winter season can currently accumulate a significant worsening of the effects of the spring drought itself. We have already noted similar situation with a moisture deficit in the winter period, which complicated agricultural plans and contributed to the reduction of the harvest, even in the recent past. In those years, after a dry winter, there was a spring, or also the summer drought, which led to a reduced yield of some agricultural crops. The current situation therefore means a warning in the coming weeks that unless the weather situation changes significantly and the trend from previous years continues, farmers will have to prepare for the possible negative impact of drought in the coming months and adapt their work in the fields accordingly. The moisture deficit in the past months can have a negative impact on fruit orchards as well.

The topic of forest fires is becoming more actual, due to the increasingly intense and longer episodes of drought in the recent decades. Last summer again brought with it very warm and dry weather, which created conditions for a high fire risk in Slovakia. Considering the ongoing climate change and climate scenarios for the Central Europe, it is likely that we will face such situations more and more frequently in the future. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute SHMI) is also trying to contribute to early preparedness for extreme phenomena, which was the main motivation to join the international project Clim4Cast (Interreg CE). One of the project outputs will be a document focused on a proactive response approach to drought, heat waves and fire danger at the national level. This document will be available to all national, regional and local authorities and can serve as supporting material for the drafting of policies, decrees and other strategic documents. To ensure country-specific tailored document proposal, SHMI organized an expert consultation dedicated to the wildfires management in Slovakia, in which representatives of key stakeholders participated. This consultation was followed by a meeting of experts from the practice of the National Drought Impact Reporting Network in Kaštiela Antonstál in Nemšová (October 23 and 24, 2024). To learn more about the event, please, visit the webpage: https://www.shmu.sk/sk/?page=2049&id=1548.

A recent article published in the professional journal Hrvatska vodoprivreda discusses the activities of the Clim4Cast project, with a special focus on the national presentation organized by the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ). This event was crucial in introducing the project to relevant institutions and experts in Croatia. The event was divided into two parts. The first part provided an overview of the project, outlining both completed and planned activities. Notably, a valuable database of drought, heatwaves, and fire weather (DHF) events was developed by collecting data from daily newspaper Večernji list articles spanning the years 2000 to 2023. The second part of the event served as a platform for discussion, where participants emphasized the importance of inter-institutional collaboration in strengthening societal resilience to DHF events. The full article is available online (pages 56-59): https://vode.eindigo.net/casopis-hrvatska-vodoprivreda/?pr=v.pdf&id=38665

The end of summer season, which was very hot and dry, brought several forest fires, which affected various regions in Slovakia. The most of them was in an inaccessible terrain, therefore the help of helicopters was necessary. During the firefighting works in Ludrovská dolina, a tragic event occurred, in which one of the firefighters lost his life. The list of forest fires in the period 31.8. – 8.9.2024: 8. – 9.9.2024 – The Little Carpatians (Biely kríž) 8.9.2024 – Tomášovský výhľad (National Park Slovak Paradise) 6. – 10.9.2024 – Ludrovská dolina 4.9.2024 – Moravský Svätý Ján (western Slovakia) 2. – 3.9.2024 – Borinka (western Slovakia) 30.8. – 2.9.2024 – Pohorelá (central Slovakia)

The eighth episode of the podcast of Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute is dedicated to the drought, which affects an increasingly large part of Slovakia. You can learn more about drought monitoring and drought impacts in Slovakia, but also about the project Clim4Cast. This project should bring better preparedness on the extreme events such as drought, heat waves and fire weather in the Central European region. The topic is dedicated not only to farmers and foresters, but also to the general public, which is interested in learning more about the monitoring of this phenomenon.

In August, rainfall was generally normal across most of Croatia, except in the east where it was extremely dry. September rains, however, have arrived too late, prompting Vukovarsko-srijemska County to join Virovitičko-podravska and Koprivničko-križevačka counties in declaring a natural disaster due to severe drought. Reports of widespread damage stretch from the far east of Slavonia to northern Croatia along the Drava River, affecting the northern Croatian Pannonian Basin. In Požeško-slavonska County, residents are facing drought conditions comparable to those of 2003, with the Orljava River's streamflow critically low and many springs completely dry. Water usage has been restricted to essential needs, and irrigation systems are operating at minimum capacity to keep crops alive. Birds and rodents are damaging irrigation pipes in search of water, leading to leaks and further inefficiencies. Zadarska County has reported a 26% increase in heatwave-related deaths and a rise in healthcare interventions. In Virovitičko-podravska County, heat-scorched trees are prematurely shedding leaves, and pest populations are growing. Meanwhile, new drone-based tree-planting technology, 3 to 5 times faster than traditional methods and suitable for hazardous terrain, is being used in Slavonija and is planned for coastal regions. Image: https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_pracenje&param=spi&el=prspi

The second hottest summer of Austria is coming to an end. Most cities of Austria experienced around 3 times as many heat days (>30°C) as usual. Also a new record of heat nights (minimum temperature >20°C) was reached in Vienna with 44 nights. This is more than twice as many as on average from 1991-2020.

The forest fire on the Brocken in the Harz region is now under control. Numerous fire brigades and several firefighting planes have been in action since Friday. Initial estimates suggest the fire has caused up to three million euros in damages. The police are investigating the cause of the fire, with suspicions of arson, although the national park director doubts this. After overnight rain, the situation at the Brocken forest fire in the Harz has eased. In the coming days, the area will be intensively checked for embers, including with thermal imaging cameras. Firefighting efforts will continue, with firefighting planes and helicopters on standby. The focus will be on extinguishing remaining fires, with around 50 personnel. The adjacent moorland caused concern for the emergency services. A fire had spread there, although efforts were made to prevent the flames from reaching a high moor. According to local authorities it is possible that the fire on the Brocken was deliberately set. The fire broke out simultaneously in several places on Friday 6th September according to video footage. The police have initiated an investigation on the cause of the fires. Information on the cause will only be possible once investigators can examine the fire site.

There is a reported high risk of wildfire ignition and spread in Czechia observed and predicted for multiple days is a row, which is not a situation that would be typical for this time of the year. The risky meteorological conditions with above 30 degree temperatures and high winds are also accompanied by drought and drying vegetation representing fine fuels.

According to the statistics from the Croatian Firefighting Association, 161 wildfires broke out during the week of August 22-28, 2024, marking a 6.62% increase compared to the previous week. The good news is that the affected area has significantly decreased to 832.8 ha, a reduction of 87.85%. The largest wildfire occurred on the evening of August 26 in Dalmatia, in the hinterland of Split, in the area of Žrnovnica, Markovača - Sitno Gornje. The fire was caused by a storm with heavy showers and numerous lightning strikes. The wildfire started in several locations, affecting grass, low vegetation, and forest over an estimated area of 700 ha. On August 28, the firefighting operation involved 4 firefighting aircraft, 26 members of the Croatian Armed Forces' firefighting units, and a total of 304 firefighters with 82 firefighting vehicles. During the last night, the wildfire flared up again due to strong winds (bura), but firefighters successfully prevented its spread, and the situation is more favorable this morning. Since the beginning of the year until August 28, 2024, there have been a total of 2,864 wildfires in Croatia, affecting an area of 21,745 ha. Foto: Battle with fire in the area of Žrnovnica, Source: Croatian Firefighting Association

The drought will reduce yields, by up to 50% for fodder crops. The whole of Primorska is facing a lack of rainfall this summer, but the worst is in Slovenian Istria. It is not only the drought that is causing problems, but also the prolonged high temperatures. Irrigation is becoming a necessity. There is no sign of heavy rainfall in the coming days, and the effects of the drought are set to intensify. A little over a week ago, some rain fell, but not enough to soak the parched soil and bring some relief to farmers. The drought has also affected wine-growers, with the worst effects in the Goriška Brda, Vipava Valley and Karst regions. Permanent crops will continue to be affected next year.

The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief confirmed a fire started on Wednesday above Borovce near Kočevska reka. The fire at the time was probably started by a lightning strike. The fire spread on Friday to more than 30 hectares of inaccessible and precipitous woodland due to strong winds. Despite the efforts of six volunteer fire brigades, which can only intervene on a limited basis due to the complexity of the terrain, the situation remains challenging. On Friday evening, the area of Krokar peak above Borovce near Kočevska reka was again set on fire. Firefighting continued on Saturday. It has been stopped in some parts but is not yet under control. The fire was contained on Saturday afternoon and has not spread significantly since then.

Wednesday (14.8.2024) was so far the hottest day of the year for Czech Republic so far. However, temperature records were broken only at a few meteorological stations, because of high temperatures from previous few years. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued warnings for high temperatures, wildfire occurrence, and severe storms for many districts of the Czech Republic.

Czech members of the Clim4Cast project participate in an exhibition focused on climate change. During August and September 2024, the Urban Center in Brno (Czech Republic) hosts an exhibition entitled Climate change: explore, understand and act. The exhibition is aimed at the general public and clearly explains the principle of the climate system, the causes of current climate change, and how to deal with it on several panels. The main emphasis is placed on the Czech Republic and on Brno itself. There is also information regarding monitoring and forecasting extreme weather events such as drought, heatwaves, and fire weather, which are dealt with in the Clim4Cast project. Current early warning systems related to such events are also presented. The exhibition was prepared by a team of experts from the Department of Geography of Masaryk University, the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences - CzechGlobe, the Municipality of Brno and the Urban Center.

According to Slovenia's operational drought monitoring platform »droughtmeter«, the moderately to severely dry conditions prevail in south and west Slovenia, where 30 day surface water balance anomaly up to 120mm is recorded. Extremely hot weather is contributing to fast drying of top soil layer. Therefore there are reports on drought and heat stress that cause impact on crops and can potentially reduce yield. The situation is somehow alleviated by convective precipitation that is occurring locally due to heated ground, however since precipitation in in most part very intense, most of it runs on surface and does not contribute to soil moisture. More precipitation is expected in forthcoming days, however it is not foreseen that water balance anomaly will be completely eliminated.

This week has seen very dry conditions in topsoil across Slovenia, with localised precipitation prevailing over the past 30 days. Very dry conditions persist in Bovška, Notranjska and Bela Krajina region, where accumulated value stood 50 to 80 mm below the local average for this time of year. In regions Zgornjesavska, Dolenjska and Obala region, 30-day surface water balance conditions indicates moderate drought in the topsoil layer, with deficit ranging between 20 to 30 mm. Elsewhere, normal water-balance conditions are recorded. We expect no change in mention regions over the next week, except on the coast, where the situation will worsen.

Testing of new products is intended to provide information on the suitability of their use for operational monitoring, calibration and tuning of their visualization so that they are easy to read and understand for users. Testing has been ongoing since mid-June and will be completed at the end of September, possibly during October, depending on the weather conditions. Those in July were very suitable for testing such focused products, because dry and very warm weather prevailed. It brought increased fire danger and heat waves. To monitor heat waves, the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was used, which takes into account air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and human physiological processes. The second product is the heat index (Heat Index - HI), which represents a simplified approach to the assessment of thermal comfort, since the input parameters include the maximum air temperature and relative air humidity. Both products very well operationally mapped the situation on the territory of Slovakia. Two products were tested to monitor fire danger - fuel moisture (DFM10H) and Fire Weather Index (FWI). The testing of these tools takes place thanks to intensive cooperation with the Forests of the Slovak Republic, state enterprise, directly in the field through expert assessment by foresters. Engaged experts assess on a daily operational basis whether the information displayed in the map products of the Clim4Cast project corresponds to the reality in the locality of their forest administration.

According to the outputs from the meteorological and soil drought monitoring in Slovakia, the most of the country is experiencing drought in various intensity. Approx. 29 % of the territory is facing significant to extreme soil drought. Considering relative soil humidity, the soil moisture is under 50 % over whole Slovakia except the High Tatras Mountains. Such low soil moisture lasts in the lowland regions of the western Slovakia almost 3 months. Therefore, the experts from the National reporting network of drought impacts reported considerable the drought impacts on agriculture and forestry. According to the forecast from the ECMWF model, it is not expected that the drought conditions will be getting better in the next 7 to 10 days. On the contrary, the worsening of the situation is foreseen.