NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Global Drought Information System
This Global Drought Narrative is based on global drought indicators available at the Global Drought Information System, and media reports summarized by the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Global Drought Overview
Beneficial precipitation fell across Mediterranean coastal areas and parts of other continents during May 2023, but many drought-plagued areas across Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas were drier than normal, and the precipitation that fell was not enough in many cases to make up deficits that have accumulated over several months. Unusually warm temperatures, which contributed to increased evapotranspiration, accompanied the dryness, especially in the Americas, Africa, and southeast Asia. A significant portion of the world's agricultural lands was still suffering from low soil moisture and groundwater levels, with agriculture most threatened in parts of the Americas, Africa, southern parts of Europe, southeast Asia, and now parts of Australia.
Europe
In Europe, Scandinavian coastal and Mediterranean coastal areas were wetter than normal in May 2023, but much of Europe in between these northern and southern ends was drier than normal. The heavy rains in the Mediterranean coast caused flooding across parts of central to southeastern Europe. The May rains were not as heavy in the western Mediterranean and did little to alleviate long-term precipitation deficits, with the Iberian Peninsula mostly dry at the 2- to 72-month time scales, according to the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Large parts of central, northern, and eastern Europe are dry at the 1- to 3-month time scales, and again at 12- month and longer time scales, while dryness is evident across much of southern Europe at 6- month and longer time scales. Southwestern and northeastern parts of Europe were warmer than normal in May. This month's warmth combined with unusually warm conditions in recent years across Europe to increase evapotranspiration, intensifying drought as seen in the 2- to 3- month and 9- to 48-month Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Soils continue dry in southwestern Europe and the Baltic states, while the satellite-based (GRACE) indicator of groundwater revealed low groundwater from the Iberian Peninsula to eastern Europe. The European Combined Drought Indicator showed some level of drought across the Iberian Peninsula and much of the Baltic coastal area, and over parts of the British Isles, with 30.8% of the EU-27 territory in Drought Warning conditions and 9.4% in Drought Alert conditions. According to media reports (EuroNews), the French Pyrenees-Orientales department, which borders Spain's Catalonia autonomous region, was officially declared to be in a drought "crisis" level on May 10. Reuters/Nasdaq added, France's farm ministry forecast a sharp decline in maize planting this year, expecting farmers to be discouraged by drought losses last year and lower margins than other crops. Macau Business reported that the cattle auctions that take place weekly in Portalegre, Portugal, are “completely filled” until the end of July because of the shortage of food due to drought.
Asia
In Asia, May was drier than normal in eastern Siberia, southeast Asia, and west-central Russia, and warmer than normal in western Asia and coastal areas from Southeast Asia to eastern Siberia. The SPI revealed dryness at 2- to 36-month time scales in parts of southeast Asia, southwest Asia, and southwest Russia, and at longer time scales in southwest Asia. Asia had the fourth warmest June-May 12-month time period, according to NCEI records. The SPEI reflected the increased evapotranspiration due to the unusual warmth by indicating more widespread and severe dryness in these areas, as well as the Arctic coast of Siberia, at the 2- to 36-month time scales. Satellite-based (GRACE) indicators of soil moisture and groundwater reveal widespread dry conditions across the western third of Asia and areas in the south and east. According to media reports (Iraqi News), Iraq is harshly affected by climate change and is suffering from extreme water scarcity, forcing people to leave rural areas and move to cities. Upstream dams in Turkey and Iran make the water shortage worse. The Star reported that the Rural Roads Department in Thailand was ordered to be ready to distribute water to rural residents as drought concerns increase in the country. According to the Daily NK, intense drought has gripped North Korea this spring. Wells are low. People have running water only three or four days per week. Dust clouds rise from the dry fields and paddies, so farmers can't plant. The optimal time for planting some crops was in April, so drought may further reduce already tight food supplies in North Korea. Radio Free Asia added that the food shortage in North Korea seems to be spreading, with up to 30% of farmers in two northern provinces unable to work on collective farms, due to weakness from hunger.
Africa
Beneficial precipitation fell across the Mediterranean coast (the Maghreb region) of Africa during May, while much of the equatorial region and parts of the Horn of Africa were drier than normal. At the 2- to 3-month time scales, dryness also becomes evident in North Africa and southern parts of the continent. At the 6-month and longer time scales, dryness is most evident in North Africa and parts of central Africa, according to the SPI. Africa had the fourth warmest December-May 6-month period and eighth warmest June-May 12-month period. This excessive warmth resulted in more extensive and intense drought in northern, central, and southern regions, as well as the Horn of Africa, at all of the time scales, based on the SPEI. Satellite (GRACE) observations revealed improved soil moisture but continued low groundwater in the Maghreb region, and low groundwater and soil moisture in parts of central, southern, and eastern Africa. An analysis by the African Flood and Drought Monitor estimated 19% of the continent in drought at the end of May. According to media reports (The Independent), five consecutive failed rainy seasons in Somalia have been devastating for women and their children, leaving them hungry and malnourished. In northern Africa, Reuters reported that crops withered in Tunisia this spring after rains failed. Farmers harvested some of the crops early for use as animal feed, and bakeries are running out of flour and bread. While in the south, The Namibian noted that rainfall in Namibia during the October 2022 to April 2023 rainy season was below normal, leading to severe and extreme drought in parts of the country.
Australia
Most of Australia was drier than normal during May 2023, with temperatures mostly cooler than normal. The SPI revealed parts of western, southern, and eastern Australia to be drier than normal at 2- to 6-month time scales, with the west coast dry at longer time scales. Dry areas were evident along the west coast, east coast, and in the southwest, as seen in GRACE groundwater and soil moisture data and in the Australian Combined Drought Indicator analyses.
South America
In South America, above-normal precipitation fell over parts of eastern Brazil and from northern Argentina to Peru, but precipitation amounts were below normal across many other areas. Temperatures were above normal across most of the continent, with May 2023 ranking as the warmest May, continent-wide, in the 1910-2023 NCEI record. The SPI revealed drought extending across southern Argentina and Chile and into parts of Brazil and Venezuela at the 2- to 3-month time scales, and covering a larger area (including Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru) at longer time scales out to 72 months. The last 12 months ranked as the eleventh warmest June-May period. Increased evapotranspiration from the unusual warmth resulted in more extensive and intense drought, as seen in the SPEI. Satellite (GRACE) observations revealed extensive areas of low groundwater and soil moisture from Venezuela to Brazil and southern Peru to the southern tip of the continent. Drought was confirmed in southern and western Brazil on the Brazilian Drought Monitor and in parts of Chile on the Chilean Combined Drought Index. According to media reports (Gro Intelligence), ongoing drought in Argentina may delay the planting of the 2023/24 winter wheat crop. Reuters reported that concerns were growing in Brazil about the developing El Niño. The last strong El Niño caused a drought in Brazil, reducing robusta coffee production by nearly 40%. Reuters reported on May 23 that Uruguayans in the capital city of Montevideo were praying for rain as the main reservoir held just ten days' worth of water. On May 29, the Washington Post reported that the tap water is salty in Uruguay, due to drought. Water from the Río de la Plata, the estuary where the freshwater of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers meets the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean, is being used for drinking water because the Paso Severino reservoir has run nearly dry.
North America
In North America, May was drier than normal across much of Canada, the northwestern and eastern U.S., southern Mexico, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. A persistent ridge in the atmospheric circulation pattern resulted in much above-normal temperatures across most of Canada and the northwestern to north central U.S. that increased evapotranspiration and exacerbated drought conditions. According to NCEI records, North America experienced the warmest May, continent-wide, in the 1910-2023 record, the sixth warmest June-May 12-month period, and fourth warmest June-May 36-month period. The SPI indicated persistent dryness across Canada, especially the western provinces and some eastern provinces, for the last 1 to 24 months, and in southern portions (especially the southern Prairies) at 36- to 72-month time scales. In the U.S., the Midwest and Northeast were persistently dry for the last 1 to 3 months, parts of the Great Plains were dry at 1- to 48-month time scales, and dryness was still evident in parts of the West at 36- to 72-month time scales after a wet winter and early spring. The SPI showed dryness across southern Mexico, the Central American countries, and much of the Caribbean at 1- to 72-month time scales, and in northwest Mexico at 6 to 72 months. When temperature (evapotranspiration) is considered, the SPEI shows much more extensive and severe dryness in these areas at these time scales. Satellite (GRACE) observations revealed extensive areas of low groundwater and soil moisture across western, southern, and eastern Canada; northwestern and southern Mexico; and the Central American and some Caribbean countries. In the U.S., soil moisture was low in the northwest, central to northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast, while groundwater was low in interior West to southern Plains areas as well as parts of the Northeast. Hundreds of large wildfires burned across western and eastern parts of Canada during May, with the smoke creating health problems for citizens in Canada and downwind parts of the U.S. The North American Drought Monitor product depicted drought across much of western to central Canada and the Maritime provinces; the central U.S. and parts of Florida and the U.S. West and Mid-Atlantic; and much of Mexico. The Caribbean Regional Climate Center SPI maps showed dryness across Caribbean islands at 1- to 24-month time scales. According to media reports (Reuters), the production outlook for the U.S. winter wheat crop was the lowest in recent years, with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) records dating to 1986; crops in parts of the Great Plains were in especially bad condition due to drought. The Kansas wheat crop in 1963 was a disaster, and the 2023 harvest was shaping up to rival it. Estimates for Nebraska's wheat crop include a significant drop in production and an uptick in abandoned acres. Due to drought, the crop is short, and stands are thin, according to the executive director with the Nebraska Wheat Board. Based on preliminary statistics provided by USDA/NASS, U.S. winter wheat abandonment for 2023 is pegged at 32.6%. If realized, this would be the nation's highest winter wheat abandonment rate since 1917. Drought continues in major beef cattle areas of the U.S. and is significantly affecting the cattle industry. The drought is killing trees in Kansas and eastern Nebraska. Drought emergencies or drought disaster proclamations were declared or renewed by the governors in Texas, Oregon, and Missouri. Two decades of drought in the U.S. West have lowered water levels in dams along the Colorado River to record lows recently. The Colorado River provides water to seven western states. On May 22, the three states in the Lower Basin (Arizona, California and Nevada) proposed a plan to cut their water use from the Colorado River over the next three years by an additional 3 million acre-feet, a 14% reduction across the Southwest. The Canadian Broadcast Corporation reported that fast-moving wildfires in northern Alberta have forced people from their homes and may have destroyed numerous structures. Dominican Today reported that Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has emphasized the severe water shortage in the dams, attributing it to an ongoing drought that is at its worst in the past four decades. The government is closely monitoring the situation to mitigate the adverse effects on the population and agriculture. gCaptain/Bloomberg and Seatrade Maritime News reported that vessels passing through the Panama Canal will be allowed drafts of up to 44.5 feet (13.56 meters) starting May 24 as a lack of rain in the region makes it necessary for ships to lighten their loads. Precipitation was less than 50% of normal from February to April in the region. Lake Gatun, the largest lake that feeds the canal, is projected to fall to a historic low by July. On May 30, the draft limit was reduced to 44 feet (13.4 meters), which could mean 40% less cargo on some container ships. A 50-foot (15.24-meter) draft is normal.