June rains ease drought, but concerns remain

June rainfall has eased soil drought conditions that had reached extreme levels in some parts of the Czech Republic and caused irreversible damage to some crops, according to the InterSucho drought-monitoring project run by the CzechGlobe institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

As of Sunday, the two most severe drought categories in soil layers up to one metre deep affected only a small percentage of the country. Future drought conditions will depend on upcoming rainfall, the report said.

Experts warn that just a few dry days could quickly deepen drought conditions again. While the topsoil layer, up to 40 centimetres deep, has improved in areas that received rain, deeper soil layers remain dry.