The InterSucho project of the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CzechGlobe) reported on 27 October 2026 that the preceding week's rains had saturated the surface soil layer down to 40 centimetres over most of Czechia. At greater depth, down to one metre, the soil is unsaturated according to the project, and the difference between the two layers is very unusual. Vegetation is still active and lets almost no water seep downward.[1]
Extent of the drought
The three worst drought categories, determined against the average of the years 1961 to 2015, cover almost eight percent of the territory, mainly southern and southwestern Bohemia. The lowest soil moisture is in the southern part of South Moravia, where relative saturation in the Znojmo and Břeclav areas is below 20 percent. Saturation is very high in the Liberec Region, in Krkonoše, in Orlické hory, in part of Jeseník and in Beskydy. About 12 percent of the territory has a higher soil moisture reserve than is usual for this time of year.[1]
Outlook
No significant precipitation is expected in the coming days, and thanks to low temperatures moisture should not change much. According to the project, water therefore continues to be lacking in deeper layers, springs and watercourses. To fill reservoirs, the landscape would need a considerably longer and more intense period of precipitation; according to the websites of the river basin authorities, levels of large reservoirs continue to fall or at best stagnate.[1]
Chronology
- — The InterSucho project warned on 27 October 2026 that last week's rain saturated only the surface layer of soil and that drought persists at depth in Czechia. iROZHLAS Ekolist.cz
Sources
- Ekolist.cz — 27 October 2026