According to US media reports, data from the US Drought Monitor (USDM) show that as much as 61% of the contiguous 48 states in the United States are experiencing varying degrees of drought, covering 97% of the land in the Southeast and about two-thirds of the western region. This marks the highest level for the same period since the agency was founded in 2000.

Over the past few months, most areas in the western United States have experienced persistent high temperatures, resulting in significantly lower snowpack levels—even though snowpack is an important water source replenishment for the region. Meanwhile, strong upper-level winds in the southern United States have blocked rain clouds in the north, causing prolonged drought across vast areas in the south, such as Texas. This drought has already spread to many grain-producing regions across the country, with peanuts in the southern U.S., wheat in the Great Plains, and various crops in the southwest almost all affected. In addition to grain, the drought is also directly impacting meat supplies, especially domestically produced beef in the United States. Data from the Department of Agriculture shows that the number of beef cattle raised in the U.S. is at its lowest since the 1950s, and this year’s drought will affect 64% of the nation’s inventory beef cattle. Feed for cattle such as hay and alfalfa will also be impacted.