The European 2015 drought from a climatological perspective

Ionita, Monica; Tallaksen, Lena M.; Kingston, Daniel G.; Stagge, James H.; Laaha, Gregor; Van Lanen, Henny A. J.; Scholz, Patrick; Chelcea, Silvia M.; Haslinger, Klaus

doi:10.5194/hess-21-1397-2017

Articles | Volume 21, issue 3

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1397-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

HYPER Droughts (HYdrological Precipitation – Evaporation...

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1397-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 3

Research article

|

08 Mar 2017

Research article |

| 08 Mar 2017

The European 2015 drought from a climatological perspective

Monica Ionita, Lena M. Tallaksen, Daniel G. Kingston, James H. Stagge, Gregor Laaha, Henny A. J. Van Lanen, Patrick Scholz, Silvia M. Chelcea, and Klaus Haslinger

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Total article views: 11,094 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	Supplement	BibTeX	EndNote
7,479	3,349	266	11,094	693	226	318

HTML: 7,479
PDF: 3,349
XML: 266
Total: 11,094
Supplement: 693
BibTeX: 226
EndNote: 318

Views and downloads (calculated since 19 May 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
May 2016	173	81	2	256
Jun 2016	43	14	1	58
Jul 2016	18	13	2	33
Aug 2016	21	13	1	35
Sep 2016	9	8	0	17
Oct 2016	12	25	8	45
Nov 2016	9	9	9	27
Dec 2016	3	0	3
Jan 2017	13	8	0	21
Feb 2017	11	7	0	18
Mar 2017	892	234	27	1,153
Apr 2017	289	136	14	439
May 2017	221	105	10	336
Jun 2017	206	74	9	289
Jul 2017	91	37	2	130
Aug 2017	46	32	0	78
Sep 2017	44	32	0	76
Oct 2017	32	34	1	67
Nov 2017	35	29	0	64
Dec 2017	27	24	0	51
Jan 2018	46	25	3	74
Feb 2018	46	27	2	75
Mar 2018	46	28	1	75
Apr 2018	34	21	0	55
May 2018	37	31	3	71
Jun 2018	40	23	0	63
Jul 2018	36	30	1	67
Aug 2018	35	48	0	83
Sep 2018	58	22	2	82
Oct 2018	45	24	1	70
Nov 2018	33	18	3	54
Dec 2018	26	18	1	45
Jan 2019	25	22	1	48
Feb 2019	31	18	0	49
Mar 2019	32	22	3	57
Apr 2019	31	24	0	55
May 2019	34	24	1	59
Jun 2019	25	17	1	43
Jul 2019	29	21	0	50
Aug 2019	24	16	0	40
Sep 2019	22	17	0	39
Oct 2019	23	27	1	51
Nov 2019	31	15	0	46
Dec 2019	23	20	2	45
Jan 2020	25	16	5	46
Feb 2020	29	18	2	49
Mar 2020	32	7	0	39
Apr 2020	53	17	2	72
May 2020	62	25	0	87
Jun 2020	41	25	0	66
Jul 2020	50	26	4	80
Aug 2020	48	19	5	72
Sep 2020	61	22	0	83
Oct 2020	33	19	1	53
Nov 2020	43	23	1	67
Dec 2020	62	17	0	79
Jan 2021	61	26	0	87
Feb 2021	61	23	1	85
Mar 2021	47	29	4	80
Apr 2021	59	30	0	89
May 2021	48	33	0	81
Jun 2021	44	27	0	71
Jul 2021	39	19	2	60
Aug 2021	46	29	2	77
Sep 2021	50	25	0	75
Oct 2021	37	60	5	102
Nov 2021	43	52	1	96
Dec 2021	40	21	3	64
Jan 2022	32	29	2	63
Feb 2022	26	17	1	44
Mar 2022	29	17	3	49
Apr 2022	31	19	1	51
May 2022	33	16	2	51
Jun 2022	20	25	0	45
Jul 2022	29	22	2	53
Aug 2022	53	29	5	87
Sep 2022	85	20	4	109
Oct 2022	51	30	2	83
Nov 2022	49	28	2	79
Dec 2022	46	22	3	71
Jan 2023	78	43	4	125
Feb 2023	52	32	3	87
Mar 2023	100	46	5	151
Apr 2023	63	60	4	127
May 2023	52	33	1	86
Jun 2023	48	20	0	68
Jul 2023	62	14	2	78
Aug 2023	51	20	4	75
Sep 2023	128	35	0	163
Oct 2023	260	30	4	294
Nov 2023	250	15	0	265
Dec 2023	46	23	2	71
Jan 2024	49	43	1	93
Feb 2024	63	22	1	86
Mar 2024	60	32	5	97
Apr 2024	43	25	3	71
May 2024	50	26	2	78
Jun 2024	56	15	2	73
Jul 2024	53	16	6	75
Aug 2024	67	17	4	88
Sep 2024	49	19	1	69
Oct 2024	64	15	1	80
Nov 2024	34	20	3	57
Dec 2024	52	19	4	75
Jan 2025	55	30	2	87
Feb 2025	73	18	1	92
Mar 2025	68	21	2	91
Apr 2025	93	27	3	123
May 2025	97	17	3	117
Jun 2025	124	32	2	158
Jul 2025	113	27	3	143
Aug 2025	93	28	4	125
Sep 2025	120	29	1	150
Oct 2025	77	34	2	113
Nov 2025	78	53	3	134
Dec 2025	53	38	1	92

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 19 May 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
May 2016	173	81	2	256
Jun 2016	43	14	1	58
Jul 2016	18	13	2	33
Aug 2016	21	13	1	35
Sep 2016	9	8	0	17
Oct 2016	12	25	8	45
Nov 2016	9	9	9	27
Dec 2016	3	0	3
Jan 2017	13	8	0	21
Feb 2017	11	7	0	18
Mar 2017	892	234	27	1,153
Apr 2017	289	136	14	439
May 2017	221	105	10	336
Jun 2017	206	74	9	289
Jul 2017	91	37	2	130
Aug 2017	46	32	0	78
Sep 2017	44	32	0	76
Oct 2017	32	34	1	67
Nov 2017	35	29	0	64
Dec 2017	27	24	0	51
Jan 2018	46	25	3	74
Feb 2018	46	27	2	75
Mar 2018	46	28	1	75
Apr 2018	34	21	0	55
May 2018	37	31	3	71
Jun 2018	40	23	0	63
Jul 2018	36	30	1	67
Aug 2018	35	48	0	83
Sep 2018	58	22	2	82
Oct 2018	45	24	1	70
Nov 2018	33	18	3	54
Dec 2018	26	18	1	45
Jan 2019	25	22	1	48
Feb 2019	31	18	0	49
Mar 2019	32	22	3	57
Apr 2019	31	24	0	55
May 2019	34	24	1	59
Jun 2019	25	17	1	43
Jul 2019	29	21	0	50
Aug 2019	24	16	0	40
Sep 2019	22	17	0	39
Oct 2019	23	27	1	51
Nov 2019	31	15	0	46
Dec 2019	23	20	2	45
Jan 2020	25	16	5	46
Feb 2020	29	18	2	49
Mar 2020	32	7	0	39
Apr 2020	53	17	2	72
May 2020	62	25	0	87
Jun 2020	41	25	0	66
Jul 2020	50	26	4	80
Aug 2020	48	19	5	72
Sep 2020	61	22	0	83
Oct 2020	33	19	1	53
Nov 2020	43	23	1	67
Dec 2020	62	17	0	79
Jan 2021	61	26	0	87
Feb 2021	61	23	1	85
Mar 2021	47	29	4	80
Apr 2021	59	30	0	89
May 2021	48	33	0	81
Jun 2021	44	27	0	71
Jul 2021	39	19	2	60
Aug 2021	46	29	2	77
Sep 2021	50	25	0	75
Oct 2021	37	60	5	102
Nov 2021	43	52	1	96
Dec 2021	40	21	3	64
Jan 2022	32	29	2	63
Feb 2022	26	17	1	44
Mar 2022	29	17	3	49
Apr 2022	31	19	1	51
May 2022	33	16	2	51
Jun 2022	20	25	0	45
Jul 2022	29	22	2	53
Aug 2022	53	29	5	87
Sep 2022	85	20	4	109
Oct 2022	51	30	2	83
Nov 2022	49	28	2	79
Dec 2022	46	22	3	71
Jan 2023	78	43	4	125
Feb 2023	52	32	3	87
Mar 2023	100	46	5	151
Apr 2023	63	60	4	127
May 2023	52	33	1	86
Jun 2023	48	20	0	68
Jul 2023	62	14	2	78
Aug 2023	51	20	4	75
Sep 2023	128	35	0	163
Oct 2023	260	30	4	294
Nov 2023	250	15	0	265
Dec 2023	46	23	2	71
Jan 2024	49	43	1	93
Feb 2024	63	22	1	86
Mar 2024	60	32	5	97
Apr 2024	43	25	3	71
May 2024	50	26	2	78
Jun 2024	56	15	2	73
Jul 2024	53	16	6	75
Aug 2024	67	17	4	88
Sep 2024	49	19	1	69
Oct 2024	64	15	1	80
Nov 2024	34	20	3	57
Dec 2024	52	19	4	75
Jan 2025	55	30	2	87
Feb 2025	73	18	1	92
Mar 2025	68	21	2	91
Apr 2025	93	27	3	123
May 2025	97	17	3	117
Jun 2025	124	32	2	158
Jul 2025	113	27	3	143
Aug 2025	93	28	4	125
Sep 2025	120	29	1	150
Oct 2025	77	34	2	113
Nov 2025	78	53	3	134
Dec 2025	53	38	1	92

Latest update: 20 Dec 2025

Short summary

This paper analyses the European summer drought of 2015 from a climatological perspective, including its origin and spatial and temporal development, and how it compares with the 2003 event. It discusses the main contributing factors controlling the occurrence and persistence of the event: temperature and precipitation anomalies, blocking episodes and sea surface temperatures. The results represent the outcome of a collaborative initiative of members of UNESCO’s FRIEND-Water program.