Droughts worldwide
Every drought listed by GDACS in the last 30 days, and the countries where the next three months are most likely to be drier than normal.
Snapshot
Last changed 15 November 2026Where it stands
GDACS lists 13 drought records touching 85 countries in the last 30 days, 4 of them at its orange or red level.
For December–February, the seasonal forecast leans drier than normal in 50 countries of a million people or more, and rates a drier season as likely in 42 of them.
A drought record can cover many countries at once; GDACS's own report says which areas are affected.
| Drought records | 13 |
|---|---|
| Countries touched | 85 |
| Orange or red level | 4 |
| Drier season favoured, December–February | 50 |
Droughts
Last changed 15 November 2026Drought records, last 30 days
- DroughtSeriousDrought in Aruba, Brazil and 6 more countries. GDACS alert level: Orange. Area affected: 1,735,191 km2. Started 21 September 2022.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in New Zealand. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 46,791 km2. Started 21 July 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtSeriousDrought in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and 12 more countries. GDACS alert level: Orange. Area affected: 1,451,032 km2. Started 21 May 2026. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtSeriousDrought in Belize, Costa Rica and 9 more countries. GDACS alert level: Orange. Area affected: 977,982 km2. Started 21 April 2026. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtSeriousDrought in Andorra, Albania and 27 more countries. GDACS alert level: Orange. Area affected: 2,099,822 km2. Started 21 December 2025. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in United States. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 212,854 km2. Started 21 August 2025. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in Madagascar. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 70,447 km2. Started 21 November 2025. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in India. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 411,829 km2. Started 21 June 2026. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in China, Kazakhstan and 2 more countries. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 328,031 km2. Started 21 June 2026. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and 4 more countries. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 1,594,763 km2. Started 21 March 2026. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in Brazil. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 116,747 km2. Started 21 September 2022. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in Bangladesh, Bhutan and 6 more countries. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 634,227 km2. Started 21 May 2026. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
- DroughtAdvisoryDrought in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and 4 more countries. GDACS alert level: Green. Area affected: 342,294 km2. Started 21 December 2025. Ended 13 November 2026.GDACSUpdated 15 Nov, 05:57 UTC
Not an official alert. Events from GDACS, NASA EONET and the Copernicus air-quality forecast. Being listed here does not mean an event was caused by El Niño.
Outlook
Last changed 15 November 2026Most likely to be drier, December–February
The 20 countries of a million people or more with the highest odds of a drier season.
| Country | Rainfall, December–February | Drier / normal / wetter | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicaragua | Likely drier | >95% · <5% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Philippines | Likely drier | >95% · <5% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Malaysia | Likely drier | 94% · 6% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Honduras | Likely drier | 92% · 6% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Likely drier | 92% · 8% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Guatemala | Likely drier | 90% · 8% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Brazil | Likely drier | 88% · 10% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Chile | Likely drier | 82% · 18% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Bolivia | Likely drier | 78% · 20% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Equatorial Guinea | Likely drier | 78% · 18% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Botswana | Likely drier | 75% · 11% · 14% | Likely warmer |
| Cameroon | Likely drier | 75% · 17% · 8% | Likely warmer |
| Ghana | Likely drier | 75% · 21% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Namibia | Likely drier | 75% · 13% · 12% | Likely warmer |
| Venezuela | Likely drier | 75% · 23% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Panama | Likely drier | 73% · 25% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| South Africa | Likely drier | 71% · 25% · <5% | Likely warmer |
| Tunisia | Likely drier | 69% · 17% · 14% | Likely warmer |
| Lesotho | Likely drier | 67% · 17% · 16% | Likely warmer |
| Liberia | Likely drier | 67% · 25% · 8% | Likely warmer |
Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service seasonal forecast, issued November 2026. World outlook map
Sources
Last changed 15 November 2026Data and citation
- Droughts: GDACS, the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System.
- Seasonal outlook: Copernicus Climate Change Service, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) seasonal forecasts, ECMWF system 51.
Cite as: “Droughts worldwide”, How's the Climate, https://howstheclimate.org/situations/droughts/, version of 15 November 2026.