The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center notes that precipitation patterns in Ukraine are changing: dry periods are increasing, and the rainfall itself is becoming more uneven. That is, instead of a gentle rain for a few days, a huge amount of water can fall in a matter of hours - and then a dry period sets in again.

And this has been very noticeable in recent years. For example, March 2026 turned out to be the driest in the last 35 years. August 2026 was also very dry across most of Ukraine: some regions received only 23-50% of the monthly precipitation, and in some places, less than 10%.

The most interesting thing is that the problem isn't just the amount of rain. Ukraine is getting warmer, causing water to evaporate from the soil faster. While previously the soil could retain moisture for quite a long time after rain, at high temperatures it dries out much more quickly.

This creates a paradox: rain may fall, but plants will still suffer from drought. For example, a heavy downpour can deliver a month's worth of precipitation in a couple of hours, but a significant portion of the water quickly runs off the surface and doesn't have time to properly accumulate in the soil. This can be followed by weeks without significant rain.

This is especially alarming for agriculture. In August 2026, the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center reported that soil drought persisted across a significant part of Ukraine, and soil moisture reserves remained insufficient. In the west and Transcarpathia, precipitation from April to August was only 37-50% of normal.

But to say that "Ukraine is turning completely into a desert" would be wrong. The situation varies greatly across regions. The Carpathians and western Ukraine receive much more precipitation than the southern and eastern regions. Furthermore, dry periods can alternate with very heavy downpours and floods.

And here, perhaps, is the most significant change of recent decades: the weather is becoming more extreme and less predictable.

Twenty-five years ago, droughts and very dry years also occurred. But today, against the backdrop of general warming, the combination of high temperatures, prolonged dry periods, and sudden downpours is becoming increasingly noticeable.

So, the feeling that "there used to be more normal rainfall, and now there's either nothing or a downpour" has a real climatic basis. It's simply more accurate to talk not just about a reduction in rainfall, but about a change in precipitation patterns and increasing aridity.

And a completely different question arises: if this trend continues for the next 20-30 years, what will Ukraine be like in 2050 - green and humid, or will some regions truly begin to resemble steppe and semi-desert? 🌱☀️