Collapse of key Atlantic current could bring extreme drought to Europe for hundreds of years, study finds

This photograph shows a view of the Zahara-El Gastor reservoir in Zahara de la Sierra in the southern province of Cadiz, during a drought episode on December 29, 2023.

Southern Europe's already scorching dry summers could get even worse over the next 1,000 years if a key ocean current system collapses — with a rise in extreme droughts and longer dry seasons, a new study suggests.

This is the first time that researchers have compared what would happen to Europe's summer precipitation under different climate scenarios if the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) were to collapse.