CHARACTERISTICS OF 2018 DROUGHT IN EUROPE AND SITUATION IN SLOVENIA

Abstract

The year 2018 was marked by the coincidence of a lack of precipitation and a long period of exceptionally warm weather, which provoked the development of extreme drought in central and northern Europe. This was due to the persistent airflow of an anticyclone, which was in this area from May to the autumn months. The displacement of the air flows due to the anticyclone to the north did not cause major drought problems over much of eastern and south-eastern Europe in 2018. Extreme weather conditions caused catastrophic consequences for various economic sectors – from agriculture and forestry, drinking water supply, fisheries, river transport, tourism and other water-related activities. Of all the affected countries in the drought of 2018, the biggest problem was the intense fires that were most catastrophic in Sweden. The situation in south-eastern Europe, however, showed a different characteristic, with the lack of precipitation and extremely warm weather in the region in the spring and autumn months, which caused certain problems in agriculture, while in the Danube river basin, reduced flow in the north caused problems in the downstream countries. The 2018 vegetation season in Slovenia was marked by a late start to the season with frequent precipitation and short and intense dry periods (i.e. “flash droughts”) in the east and west of the country, but this did not cause major problems in the economy.