###### Abstract  
Central Europe experienced several droughts in the recent past, such as in the year 2018, which was characterized by extremely low rainfall rates and high temperatures, resulting in substantial agricultural yield losses. Time series of satellite earth observation data enable the characterization of past drought events over large temporal and spatial scales. Within this study, Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) (MOD13Q1) 250 m time series were investigated for the vegetation periods of 2000 to 2018. The spatial and temporal development of vegetation in 2018 was compared to other dry and hot years in Europe, like the drought year 2003. Temporal and spatial inter- and intra-annual patterns of EVI anomalies were analyzed for all of Germany and for its cropland, forest, and grassland areas individually. While vegetation development in spring 2018 was above average, the summer months of 2018 showed negative anomalies in a similar magnitude as in 2003, which was particularly apparent within grassland and cropland areas in Germany. In contrast, the year 2003 showed negative anomalies during the entire growing season. The spatial pattern of vegetation status in 2018 showed high regional variation, with north-eastern Germany mainly affected in June, north-western parts in July, and western Germany in August. The temporal pattern of satellite-derived EVI deviances within the study period 2000-2018 were in good agreement with crop yield statistics for Germany. The study shows that the EVI deviation of the summer months of 2018 were among the most extreme in the study period compared to other years. The spatial pattern and temporal development of vegetation condition between the drought years differ. drough; time series; heat wave; agriculture; climate extremes; climate change; crop statistics; MODIS; Germany 2019 11 1783 10.3390/rs11151783 11.10.3390/rs11151783 11.  
will increase [2; 3]. With 2 \({}^{\circ}\)C of global warming, one out of every two summer months in Europe could show higher temperatures than ever observed under current climate conditions [4]. Several recent studies show that, by the end of this century, drought events will become more frequent all over Europe [5; 6; 7]. The projected increase of climate extremes is likely to have severe consequences on environmental, economic, and infrastructure systems as well as on human health in Europe. In the aftermath of the summer of 2003 heat wave, the deaths of thousands of vulnerable elderly people in Europe were reported [8]. Different ecological systems show varying degrees of resilience to an increase in droughts. Long-term consequences are possible shifts in species composition, ecosystem degradation, and loss of ecosystem services [9]. For example, ecosystems such as forests and bogs will be affected by an increased risk of wildfires. Furthermore, the carbon sequestration potential is strongly reduced under drought conditions, with a projected overall decrease in vegetation carbon uptake over Europe [10], further reinforcing the drivers of climate change. The agricultural sector is harmed as crop yields [11] and above-ground biomass of grasslands [12] will be reduced. An increased information need on crop failure estimates will arise for farmers, insurance providers, and public authorities alike. While the drought situation in 2018 was not uniform for all of Europe, with some southern regions registering below-average temperatures and high precipitation [1; 13], the spring and summer of 2018 in Germany, like in other central and north European countries, were characterized by extraordinarily dry and warm conditions [13; 14]. The average temperatures in June-August were the second hottest since the beginning of recordings in 1881 and were only exceeded by temperatures in 2003 [13].