The role of moisture source and temperature anomalies in the 2022 European Drought

The 2022 European drought was characterized by positive temperature anomalies associated with both adiabatic and diabatic physical processes, which favored excessive moisture absorption by the atmosphere. This warming, combined with peak atmospheric evaporative demand, marked atmospheric stability, and the predominance of anticyclonic conditions, resulted in a prolonged precipitation deficit. Positive temperature anomalies were identified in North Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, the central and eastern Atlantic Ocean, and Central and Eastern Europe, reinforcing the link between large-scale atmospheric circulation and drought development. In the months following the drought peak, particularly in September 2022, the redistribution of previously accumulated water vapor, along with the establishment of atmospheric instability, triggered episodes of extreme precipitation in southern and eastern Europe. These events were driven by the release of moisture from the affected regions, as well as additional contributions from the Mediterranean source, advective cooling, and positive anomalies in integrated vertical water vapor transport. This study highlights the importance of analyzing not only the development of droughts but also their subsequent impacts, since rising temperatures in a changing climate could intensify the occurrence of compound events, characterized by the concurrence of droughts and heat waves, and favor the emergence of extreme precipitation episodes associated with dry periods.