Authorities also warned that some provinces have experienced frequent forest fires in recent weeks even though the country's total number of forest fires in July were lower than in 2019.

The research found that half the deaths were children younger than 5, and that the crisis could prove worse than Somalia's last major drought in 2017 and 2018.

Drought was officially declared in parts of England earlier this month for the first time since 2018, and six water companies have now implemented hosepipe bans to help protect water supplies.

The impact of the long drought is expected to last into next month, with autumn harvests at risk, government officials say.

Much of Europe has faced weeks of baking temperatures that have triggered large wildfires and seen the source of Britain's River Thames dry up further downstream than in previous years.

Temperatures have been expected to hit 37 Celsius in the southwest before the baking hot air spreads north early in the week.

Municipalities across Italy have begun introducing some form of water rationing after an unusually hot and dry spring sparked widespread alarm.

The government is rationing water and has tried cloud seeding and rain worshipping ceremonies.