PARIS: Europe and the Mediterranean basin has been hit by a long-lasting drought covering over 45 percent of the region since midMarch, according to an analysis of European Drought Observatory (EDO) data made available on Tuesday.

It is the first time since data collection began in 2012 that such an extensive part of the region has been hit by a drought for more than three consecutive months, heightening the risk of wildfires.

A series of fires broke out in Turkiye and Greece at the start of the summer, where on average 72pc and 56pc of soils have been dry since mid-March.

The Drought Observatory Indicator determined by the EU`s Copernicus Climate Change Service uses satellite imagery to measure three parameters: precipitation, or rainfall, soil moisture and the state of vegetation.

Findings are then categorised into one ofthreelevels ofdrought: watch, warning and alert the last level signalling that vegeta-tion is developing abnormally. The EDO data up to June 20 shows that drought in the region has worsened. Since the start of June, seven percent of soils have been on alert, twice as much as in mid-March.

Eastern European countries are the most concerned. Record highs for this time of year were registered in Ukraine and Belarus, where respectively 31pc and 25pc of land is on alert.

To the west, the United Kingdom has been hit by a large drought drying up over 70pc of its land since the end of March. England, in particular, experienced its `driest spring in more than 100 years`, the official weather service said.

Further south, Spain and Portugal have been mostly spared from alarming levels of dryness, with respectively four percent and less than one percent of lands on alert from June 11-20.

This is a lot less than usual at this time of year: between 2012 and 2024, on average 32pc of Spain and 27pc of Portugal were on alert.

Both countries experienced heavy rainfall at the start of spring, including the deadly floods in the Spanish region of Valencia.

French weather service Meteo France warned that `unusually dry vegetation in July` could`fuel wildfire outbreaks`, with the first major fires of the summer breaking out in France over the weekend.

Marseille airport shut down A wildfire in southern France on Tuesday forced Marseille airport to close and interrupted train traffic as the blaze spread rapidly to the edges of the southern French city. Several forest fires have raged in recent days in southern France, fanning out at speed due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave.

The fire started in a vehicle in the area of Pennes-Mirabeau to the north of Marseille, on the road to its airport, roaring across 350 hectares (860 acres) by the afternoon, firefighters said.

It sent plumes of acrid smoke billowing into the sky, causing the airport to close its runways shortly after midday and cancel at least 10 flights, a spokesman for the Marseille Provence airport said.

The air hub`s website showed departures including to Brussels, Munich and Naples had been called off.

In rail travel, the website of the SNCF national operator showed more than a dozen train trips had been cancelled in and out of the city.-AFP