HS
Hydrological Sciences

droughts

Drought in Europe

August 18, 2026
Drought in Europe
On the shore of lake Constance (Ermatingen), 12 Aug 2026, Tobias Wechsler

Many of us are experiencing it right now: Europe is suffering from a long lasting large scale drought (Fig. 1), with record heat and low-flow levels that probably nobody of us has seen before; and current forecasts do not announce any relieve for the coming weeks. The pictures of record low levels in the river Rhine  are scaring – knowing how strongly Europe depends on this fluvial transport ...[Read More]

How do you ensure quality in your flow modeling? Participate in a survey!

, and December 19, 2024
How do you ensure quality in your flow modeling? Participate in a survey!

The challenges in hydraulic engineering are increasing due to the growing threat of floods and heavy rainfall events caused by climate change (as experienced several times in Europe in recent years) on the one hand and the more frequent low water situations and the associated requirements for ecological enhancement of water bodies, on the other hand. In this context, reliable estimates of the hydr ...[Read More]

May the year-end be Exceptional, not only hydrologically!

December 21, 2023
May the year-end be Exceptional, not only hydrologically!
Generated with DreamStudio, "beautiful rainy christmas in a river catchment"

What a hydrological year it has been!  From the winter drought and flash floods detailed in Matano and Avanzi‘s blog post to the remarkably warm and wet November 2023, Europe has witnessed a range of extraordinary weather phenomena. In the Alpine region, the convergence of warm and wet weather resulted in numerous rain-on-snow events (see eg. the streamflow recording below), offering valuabl ...[Read More]

Floods and droughts: two sides of the same hydrological coin

and August 23, 2023
Floods and droughts: two sides of the same hydrological coin

This is not (only) a flood. Inspired by Magritte’s painting: ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe’ After an alarming dry winter, the European continent has been enduring weeks of a record-breaking heatwave across the southern regions, while coping with scattered, intense precipitation and flash floods. In Zaragoza (Spain), recent flash floods swiftly transformed the previously dry landscape into raging rivers ...[Read More]