Parts of northern Europe have seen their worst drought in decades in recent weeks, with farmers in several countries fearing the dry spell will dent harvests if it continues.
Water shortages can stunt the growth of crops such as wheat, corn, rapeseed and barley, Nicolas Guilpart, a lecturer in agronomy at the Agro Paris Tech research institute, told AFP.
Countries including Denmark, France, Belgium, Britain and Germany have all seen much lower levels of rainfall than usual in some areas this spring, leaving the soil parched and dusty.
The unusually dry weather has already delayed the life cycle of crops that would normally have sprouted by now.
In early May, the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) warned that the previous three months had been exceptionally dry, with just 63 millimetres of rainfall.
Since 1874, there have only been seven times when less rain fell during the period from February to April, it said.
Denmark has also seen above-average temperatures for the time of year.
The country’s drought index, which runs on a scale of one to 10, has been above nine since May 15th, the first time this has happened so early in the year since the index was established in 2005.
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Similar concerns have emerged from neighbouring countries Sweden and Germany.
From February 1st to April 13th, Germany saw 40 litres of rainfall per square metre, the its lowest level since records began in 1931, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
The Federation of Swedish Farmers said it was “too early to say what the impact on farming will be this summer” but advised farmers to go over their water planning.
Irrigation can help compensate for low rainfall, Guilpart said, but “you need the resources to do it”.
Water for irrigation is primarily obtained from surface water such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs or from groundwater using wells and aquifers.
The dry spell in northern Europe contrasts with southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, where rainfall has been up to twice the usual amount for the time of year.