Research shows ‘atmospheric evaporative demand’ is rising, increasing the amount of land vulnerable to drought After the driest spring for 132 years, two regions of England – Yorkshire and the north-west – have entered drought status. Some reservoirs have shrunk to half their volume and without substantial rain other regions could also enter drought status. But it’s not just lack of rain that is the problem. A new study shows that a thirstier atmosphere is making droughts more severe and widespread around the globe.Researchers used climate data including temperatures, wind speeds, humidity and solar radiation to develop an “atmospheric evaporative demand” index – essentially a measure of how thirsty the atmosphere is. From data going back to 1901, their findings, published in Nature, show that the atmosphere has become thirstier over time. This rising thirst has increased the area of land vulnerable to drought and is responsible for about 40% of the increase in drought severity over the last four decades. Continue reading...