SHMU: Drought of Varying Intensities Affecting 80 percent of Slovakia

Bratislava, 8 June (TASR) - A drought of varying intensities is affecting 80 percent of Slovakia's territory, with severe to extreme drought currently present mainly in the far west and far east of Slovakia, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) reported on its website on Monday. Extreme drought is affecting the Small Carpathian mountains, the Zahorie, Povazie, Orava and Upper and Lower Zemplin areas, covering 8 percent of the country's territory. In the deeper soil layers, significant to extreme drought persists, particularly in western Slovakia, northern central Slovakia and the far east. The lowest relative saturation values are below 10 percent in the Zahorie area and around Bratislava. Saturation levels of 10-20 percent are found not only in Zahorie but also in the Podunajsko area and Lower Zemplin. "Saturation is below 50 percent across approximately three-quarters of the [country's] territory. The soil moisture deficit ranges from minus 60 to minus 80 millimetres locally in Orava and the far east. On most of the territory, the moisture deficit ranges from minus 20 millimetres to minus 60 millimetres," stated the experts. am/df