 The prolonged drought in Western Europe and the Mediterranean region in 2022 was caused by a combination of factors, including anthropogenic climate change and the Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation. Anthropogenic climate change played a major role in intensifying the drought by increasing the area affected and enhancing soil drying through evaporation. However, the Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation may have also contributed to the severity of the drought due to its influence on atmospheric circulation.