The self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) over the period 1950–2022 shows that the ongoing increase in global drought since mid-2019 (Barichivich et al. 2020, 2021) reached a new historical peak in October 2022 (Fig. 2.39), surpassing the peak in August 2021 (Barichivich et al. 2022). A historical maximum of 6.2% of the global land area experienced extreme drought conditions (scPDSI≤−4) in August 2022, slightly greater than the previous maximum in October 1984 (6.1%). The extent of severe plus extreme drought conditions (scPDSI≤−3) in 2022 exceeded 15% of the global land area between July and November, reaching a historical maximum of 15.8% in August. Similarly, moderate or worse drought conditions (scPDSI≤−2) peaked in October at a historical maximum of 29% of the global land area