The Latest Breaking News from Drought

Severe droughts across the Northern Hemisphere -- stretching from the farms of California to waterways in Europe and China -- are further snarling supply chains and driving up the prices of food and energy, adding pressure to a global trade system already under stress.

Water levels on the Franco-German section of the Rhine river are so low that some vessels cannot sail even when empty, although long-awaited rain has begun to ease bottlenecks along Europe's main commercial waterway.

Power rationing that forced factories in China’s southwest to shut down has been extended through at least Thursday due to low water at hydroelectric dams, according to a notice reported by news outlets and a company announcement, adding to losses from the hottest, driest summer in decades. The “tense situation”…

Nationwide alert issued with south-west especially badly hit, as major companies forced to suspend work

A notice reported by Chinese news outlets says power rationing that forced factories in the southwest to shut down has been extended through at least Thursday due to low water at hydroelectric dams

Trillions of gallons of water must be saved from the drying Colorado River to avoid the worst-case scenario brought on by drought, climate change and overuse, federal officials announced earlier this summer, setting a deadline for Aug. 15.

China's agriculture ministry says it will try to protect its grain harvest from record-setting drought by using chemicals to generate rain

In the looming clmate crisis, will old grape vines cope better with the drought and extreme heat than younger plants? Asks David Williams

Images from across the Northern Hemisphere reveal the impact of severe drought and water shortages, but it is especially stark in Europe.

Merchants warn that hop growers have been hit by high temperatures and lack of rain, so breweries already facing higher electricity, carbon dioxide and malt costs will have to increase prices

There has been fury as water companies make millions of pounds by selling off water storage sites for housing, fishing and other uses while building just two small new reservoirs in five years