flash drought
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of flash drought
First recorded in 2005–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Parts of the UK have experienced a flash drought - a type of drought that develops very rapidly, driven by extreme heat, very low rainfall and exceptionally high water demand.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
South America, particularly southern Brazil and the Amazon, is experiencing strong intensification in all three dimensions of flash drought, aligning with deforestation patterns in the region, high temperatures and less rain.
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024
As in Maui, the landscape around Gatlinburg had dried rapidly in what scientists call a flash drought, which was caused by a combination of heat, low humidity and high winds.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 23, 2023
This week, the deadly combination of flash drought and an off-shore hurricane — both increasingly common conditions as global temperatures rise — produced a catastrophic fire that destroyed the historic city of Lahaina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
New England, typically one of the wetter U.S. regions, experienced a flash drought in the summer of 2022, with areas including Boston and Rhode Island receiving only a fraction of their normal rainfall.
From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2022
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