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drought

An Iranian woman walks across a crosswalk as the first winter rains soak the Iranian capital following one of the driest years in Tehran, December 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
December 10, 2025, 10:46 am
First autumn rain falls in Iran’s capital, but drought-ravaged nation needs far more
Brief shower offers relief in Tehran as reservoirs run low, but meteorologists say country remains in its worst drought in decades
By Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell
A dry water feature collects dust in a Mellat Park, as the Iran faces sever water shortages, in Tehran on November 9, 2025 (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
November 16, 2025, 10:18 am
Iran says it has begun cloud-seeding operations to induce rain amid severe drought
Aircraft used to spray particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds to trigger precipitation; president warned Tehran could be evacuated due to unprecedented water shortage
By AFP
Iranians perform a prayer for rainfall at the Saleh Shrine in Tehran on November 14, 2025, as the country suffers from severe water shortages. (AFP)
November 14, 2025, 8:47 pm
Hundreds in Tehran pray for rain as historic drought empties Iran’s reservoirs
Rainfall in capital city at lowest level in a century; half of Iran’s provinces haven’t seen a drop in months; last week, president warned of evacuations if drought lasts
By AFP
Israelis at the Sea of Galilee on October 25, 2025. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
November 11, 2025, 3:53 pm
In world first, Israel begins pumping desalinated water into depleted Sea of Galilee
Groundbreaking project channeling in enough water to raise dangerously low lake level by 0.5 centimeters per month; Water Authority will double flow if needed
By Sue Surkes
Commuters drive along the Nawab Highway underpass in Tehran on November 3, 2025. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
November 8, 2025, 5:14 pm
Iran to begin restricting water use in Tehran as drought reaches critical levels
President Pezeshkian warns of rationing and potential evacuation of capital city if no rain falls soon, with Tehran’s reservoirs said to only hold supply for some two weeks
By Agencies
People walk along the Sea of Galilee shore, where water used to be, past infrastructure once submerged, at Kibbutz Ginosar, northern Israel, October 4, 2025. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
October 8, 2025, 1:58 pm
Facing drought, Israel to direct desalinated water to Sea of Galilee, in world first
With northern lake level below minimum for pumping, authorities will release just 10% of normal quantity into national water carrier, among other moves
By Sue Surkes
A Kaninchen Daschshund dog licks an ice cream downtown Milan, on August 12, 2025 . Italy is facing extreme heat until mid-August as temperatures above 40°C are expected to grip the entire country at least until August 15. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)
August 12, 2025, 4:35 pm
Over half of Mediterranean basin and Europe hit by drought since April
Data from the European Drought Observatory comes as Israel copes with an extreme heat wave that is expected to break records
By AFP and Sue Surkes
Lightning illuminates the sky near Rehovot, December 30, 2024.(Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
February 2, 2025, 5:13 pm
Water Authority says Israel experiencing driest winter in a century
Just 55 percent of the annual average for this time of year has fallen so far, but authority says desalination and management ensure there will be no near-term supply shortage
By Sue Surkes
The Altadena Community Church is left damaged by the Eaton Fire, January 12, 2025, in Altadena, California. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
January 13, 2025, 12:31 am
LA fires rage on as meteorologists warn of dangerous weather in coming days
Death toll rises to 16, with another 16 people missing; reinforcements continue to arrive to battle fires, given warnings of ‘critical’ conditions
By Christopher Weber and HOLLY RAMER
A sculpture from the Hittite Empire, which suddenly crumbled around 1200 BCE during the Late Bronze Age collapse. (AFP)
February 10, 2023, 10:17 pm
Climate change may explain mysterious collapse of ancient Hittite Empire
Scientists say rings of juniper wood from 3,000 years ago show three-straight years with low growth, suggesting a prolonged and severe drought
By AFP and ToI Staff
An area of forest on fire near a logging area in the Transamazonica highway region, in the municipality of Humaita, Amazonas state, Brazil, Sept. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros, file)
January 31, 2023, 10:00 am
One-third of Amazon rainforest damaged by human activity and drought, study finds 
Researchers say the damage done to the forest, which spans nine countries, is significantly greater than previously known and spiraling out of control
By AFP
Fishermen sail in a boat in the Shatt al-Arab waterway, formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, as the sun sets over Iraq's southern city of Basra on October 30, 2022. (Hussein FALEH / AFP)
November 7, 2022, 6:33 am
Twilight of the Tigris: Iraq’s mighty river is drying up
Drought has shrunken the watercourse that is crucial to the region’s agriculture; ecological awareness remains low among Iraq’s general public
By Aymen HENNA
A view the dried-up river Tille in Lux, France, Aug. 9, 2022 (AP Photo/Nicholas Garriga)
September 8, 2022, 1:29 pm
2022 declared Europe’s hottest summer on record
European Commission’s climate change service says previous record was only a year old; on a global level, August 2022 was joint warmest August on record
By AFP
This frame grab from video taken on Aug. 8, 2018, provided by Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA, shows the edge of a massive hole caused by drought and excessive water pumping in Kabudarahang, in Hamadan province, western Iran. (ISNA via AP)
August 25, 2022, 1:20 pm
Lack of drinking water spurs mass protests in western Iran
Local media reports hundreds taking to the streets in latest rally in drought-stricken area
By AFP
A man stands in the basin of a community reservoir near his farm that ran nearly empty after its retaining wall started to leak and hot weather and drought conditions accelerated the loss of water, in Longquan village in southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality, Aug. 20, 2022. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
August 25, 2022, 10:07 am
Half of China hit by drought, rice crops threatened in worst heatwave on record
Southern China records its longest continuous period of high temperatures since records began more than 60 years ago, with hot weather even reaching normally frigid Tibetan Plateau
By AFP
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