 1. The summer drought of 2015 affected a large portion of continental Europe and was one of the most severe droughts in the region since summer 2003. 2. The summer of 2015 was characterized by exceptionally high temperatures in many parts of central and eastern Europe, with daily maximum temperatures more than 3 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal mean in the east. 3. The 2015 drought developed rapidly over several regions in May and reached peak intensity and spatial extent by August, affecting especially the eastern part of Europe. 4. It was associated with four heat wave episodes and positive geopotential height anomalies over Greenland and northern Canada, as well as large negative SST anomalies in the central North Atlantic Ocean and positive anomalies in the Mediterranean Basin. This article was authored by Emi Anita, L. M. Talikson, D. G. Kingston, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.