Europe is facing its worst drought in at least 500 years. 

Two-thirds of the continent are in a state of alert or warning, reducing inland shipping, electricity production and the yields of certain crops, according to the the European Drought Observatory (EDO), overseen by the European Commission. 

The agency’s August report says 47 per cent of Europe is under warning conditions, with clear deficit of soil moisture, and 17 per cent is in a state of alert, in which vegetation is affected.

“The severe drought affecting many regions of Europe since the beginning of the year has been further expanding and worsening as of early August,” the report said.

The experts say the western Europe-Mediterranean region is likely to experience warmer and drier than normal conditions until November.

Much of Europe has faced an intense summer, which worsened the drought, caused wildfires, set off health warnings, and prompted calls for more action to tackle climate change.

The current drought appears to be the worst in at least 500 years, the Commission said in a statement.

Summer crops are suffering, with 2022 yields for grain maize set to be 16 per cent below the average of the previous five years and soybean and sunflowers yields set to fall by 15 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

Hydropower generation is taking a hit too, with further impact on other power producers due to a shortage of water to feed cooling systems.

Low water levels have also hampered inland shipping, such as along the Rhine, with reduced shipping loads affecting coal and oil transport.

The EDO says some recent rainfall may have alleviated conditions, though it came in the form of thunderstorms that caused further damage in some cases.