Scientists say climate change is causing droughts in Europe.

Scientists?said that climate change has exacerbated drought in Europe this year as extreme heat evaporates the water supply, in an analysis published Thursday. Low water levels have 'disrupted farming, shipping and industries in countries such as Romania & Greece. This summer, drought is affecting many European countries. France is worried that it will have the smallest maize harvest in 50 years. Romania has limited farmer access to irrigation water. The Netherlands declared an water shortage last weekend. Seven Greek islands have declared drought emergency to conserve water.

According to an analysis of climate scientists by the World Weather Attribution Group, the lack of rain this April-June was not due to climate change.

Climate change is not responsible for the drought, but rather it is directly contributing to extreme heat that is increasing the amount of water evaporating from soils.

Evaporation-potential conditions ?were 80 times more likely in western Europe and 40 times more likely in eastern Europe in January-June compared with pre-industrial times before humans started burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, WWA said.

Sarah Kew is a climate researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Service. She said that extreme heat was the main driver of the drought on the?continent.

She said: "We're seeing water supplies evaporating out of our soils and rivers quicker than we would in a world without climate change. We're turning what would have been manageable droughts into severe ones."

Scientists said that the findings show?that climate changes are altering how droughts form in Europe. Lack of rain plays a smaller role while warmer air prevents rains from staying on the ground.

According to WWA analysis, climate change has made agricultural soil droughts five times more common in Western Europe and 11 times as likely in Eastern Europe. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson, Kate Abnett)

(source: Reuters)