BRUSSELS: Researchers at the European Commission warned on Monday that nearly half of the EU’s territory is currently at risk of drought, as southwest Europe wilted under a punishing heatwave, reports AFP.

In a report for July, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre said that 46 percent of the EU’s territory was exposed to warning-level drought, with 11 percent at an alert level, with crops already suffering from the lack of water.

The EU researchers also warned that the lack of water and strong heat are driving crop yields lower in France, Romania, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Weather forecasts predict more of the same, the report said, adding to an already very critical situation that will exacerbate the effects on agriculture, energy and water supply.