A critical shortage of soil moisture was recorded in Ukraine ahead of winter
A number of regions in Ukraine are experiencing a critical shortage of soil moisture at depths of up to one meter, a condition that is expected to persist until winter and poses a threat to agriculture and municipal infrastructure.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) soil moisture maps, the most severe problem is observed in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Kirovohrad, and Zaporizhzhia regions; moisture deficits are also present in the Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.
Due to the prolonged heat, the parched soil absorbs short-term downpours poorly, causing water to flow into rivers and ravines without having time to saturate the root zone for proper rooting of winter crops. In addition, dry soil freezes much faster and deeper in winter than moist soil, creating additional risks for underground utilities during the first frosts.
The publication “Telegraf” reports this based on an analysis of soil moisture maps from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
In Uzhhorod, water supply restrictions have been imposed on residents of the city’s right bank due to low water levels in the Uzh River.
In Italy, concern is growing among farmers due to the shallowing and drying up of the country’s longest river—the Po. Due to extreme heat, seawater has begun to seep into its riverbed, threatening agriculture in the region, particularly the production of milk for Parmesan cheese.
