Many soils in Germany are far too dry. Rainfall was already lacking in spring, especially in March.
Even the partly above-average precipitation in some regions during April and May was unable to replenish the missing moisture in deeper soil layers. This is shown by the current drought monitorof the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
The city of Munich in Germany's South has banned filling private swimming pools and watering lawns.
Following an extreme heat wave at the end of June, the next one is already torching Europe, putting even more strain on dwindling groundwater resources.
Anyone with a garden and a water tank knows the advantage of collecting rainwater and using it when rain is scarce. But groundwater also functions like a gigantic water reservoir.
