Rain remains scarce - Poor harvest expected after drought

Rain remains scarce
Poor harvest expected after drought

Aerial view of a church surrounded by parched yellow-brown fields with a city skyline in the distance, highlighting widespread drought and dry grass under clear summer skies.

Cracked mud covering the floor of a dried-up pond with a small pool of remaining water, exposed shoreline, and trees in the background, illustrating severe drought conditions.

Aerial view of a large park with dry yellow-brown grass, intersecting footpaths, and a few people walking across the parched landscape beneath clear summer skies.

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Blackheath's All Saints' Church stands amid scorched fields in south-east London.

England and Wales' drought situation continues to worsen with rain still nowhere to be seen.

After the driest July on record in both countries, the non-profit Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit say this year's harvest is set to be the worst since records began in 1984.

Oat, wheat, and spring barley supplies are expected to be below the ten-year average, if current figures become reality it would surpass 2020 as the worst harvest ever. Even if yields are slightly better, it would still result in four of the five worse harvests taking place over the past decade.

The situation is similar across Europe with yields expected to fall, potentially leading to shortages and price increases of some foods.

These warnings come ahead of the fifth heatwave of the year with temperatures passing 30°C again next week.

Ahead of the heat's return, yellow heat-health alerts have been issued for all parts of England aside from the north-west and north-east.

Extreme heat in eastern Europeread more

Ryan Hathaway