The recent drought that began in 1998 in the eastern Mediterranean Levant region is probably the worst in 900 years, according to a new NASA report. Scientists studied tree rings in the area, which includes Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, in order to reconstruct its drought history. The researchers also found that in most cases, when the eastern Mediterranean is experiencing a drought, so is Western Europe. The results are to be published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union. http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.706659
I have some data for Germany: http://www.wetteronline.de/?ireq=tr...015/12/reviewImage_20151231_jr_03_400x241.png 2015 was a very dry year, but 2003 was worse, 1996, 1991 and 1989 were similar. The past five years were all on the dry side of the average, though. Let's see if the trend continues.
Jahresrückblick 2015, wetteronline.de http://www.wetteronline.de/wetterrueckblick/2015-12-31-jr I don't know how reliable their statistics are, but I also have no reason to doubt them.
