Europe and East Asia Face Crop Losses From Heat, Drought and Storms
Europe's Drought and Heatwaves Devastate Crops
Drought and successive heat waves across Europe have withered potato crops in the Netherlands, slashed corn yields in Bosnia to around 1.5-2 tonnes per hectare from 6-7 tonnes previously, reduced hops yields in the Czech Republic, dried cattle-grazing plains in Hungary and lowered Danube River levels in Romania, disrupting grain transport. [3] In the Netherlands, farmer Hendrik Jan ten Cate examined a field of withered potato plants ready for harvest a month early and with a significantly reduced crop, noting that the potatoes are likely too small this year for French fries demanded by companies including McDonald’s. [3] Ten Cate, who is allowed to irrigate, estimates his harvest will be down by about one-third compared to average years because the potatoes cannot handle the combination of drought, sun, dry air and hot days. [3] In Bosnia, grain farmer Slavisa Lukic stood in a corn field where stalks blew limply, recalling that he previously grew 6 to 7 tonnes per hectare and now expects around 1.5 to 2 tonnes per hectare if he harvests at all, with clover fields that once grew abundantly now nonexistent. [3] In the Czech Republic, Plzensky Prazdroj expects losses due to a stunted hops yield as changes in rainfall patterns produce long periods of dryness followed by heavy storms that run off dry soil, leading to inconsistent yields and low groundwater levels. [3] In Romania, record-low water levels on the Danube River have disrupted grain transport, causing congested terminals and a pileup of crops, with farmers in panic mode ahead of the sunflower and corn harvests. [3] In Hungary, cattle grazing plains are turning to dust with no rain since late May, forcing dairy farmer Sandor Molnár to buy expensive feed for his 130 cows. [3]
Economic Toll and Farmer Adaptation Efforts
European heat waves and drought could reduce EU GDP by 1 percent in 2026, or around €180 billion, with many farmers facing one-third harvest losses despite adaptation efforts such as irrigation reservoirs and no-till farming. [3] Triodos bank analysis attributes the projected loss to soaring temperatures and lack of water that are hitting crops and water supplies even when farmers attempt to adapt. [3] In large parts of the Netherlands, farmers are no longer allowed to use water from streams and drainage channels to irrigate fields and orchards. [3] On the Elveden Estate in eastern England, reservoirs built to hold enough water for about 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools are almost dry or at about 20 percent capacity, yet the farm’s investments in reservoir storage and pumping infrastructure have allowed continued irrigation, though managers remain concerned about having only six weeks of watering left if dry weather persists. [3] Farmer Maarten Janse in the Netherlands uses no-till farming by not ploughing the soil, planting cover crops year-round and adding organic matter, while also diversifying into a campsite and growing samphire on saline soils, though even that crop is struggling without fresh water. [3]
Record Heatwave Hits East Asia, Destroying Harvests
Record heat in East Asia produced South Korea's highest temperature of 42.5°C, Japan's first 'cruelly hot day' above 40°C, and Hong Kong's highest temperature of 36.9°C since 1884, killing at least 31 people in South Korea, destroying potato, watermelon and strawberry crops, and causing over 900,000 livestock and 1.4 million farmed fish deaths. [5] In South Korea, potato farmer Lee Sang-hyuk in Yanggu County found soft, collapsing potatoes spoiled by heat that turned the ground into an oven, describing the widespread ruin as upsetting. [5] Watermelon farmer Hong Kyung-hee in Gwangju watched fruit that would normally sell at a premium turn to mush overnight, while strawberry farmer Yoon Woo-ha in Damyang County lost seedlings cultivated for three months that fell outside insurance coverage, pushing farm households into debt. [5] In Japan, temperatures reached 40°C or higher at multiple locations with the first-ever “kokushobi” category introduced for such days, and three lions died of suspected heatstroke at a Tokyo zoo. [5] In Hong Kong, the record temperature occurred as outer bands of Typhoon Dolphin swept hot air over the territory, exposing shortcomings in the heat stress warning system for outdoor workers that remained at its lowest tier. [5] In China’s western Xinjiang region, a weather station recorded a 50°C reading last month while heat waves gripped the northeast, and North Korea reported a run of tropical nights in Pyongyang with temperatures failing to fall below 25°C. [5]
Broader Climate Context and Warnings
Scientists attribute the Asian extremes to human-caused global warming, which made last month's Japan heat virtually impossible without it, occurring once every 10,000 years on average in a pre-warming climate. [5] Researchers at Weather Attribution Center Japan determined that the intense heat would have been virtually impossible without global warming caused by human activity. [5] The World Meteorological Organization reported that the pace of Asia’s warming from 1991 to last year is about twice that of the preceding three decades. [5] Climate scientist Lee June-yi at Pusan National University stated that heat waves are expected to become more frequent and intense, with compound extremes such as consecutive heat waves and heavy rainfall becoming more common, and called for rapid large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions alongside well-planned adaptation measures. [5] European farmers and analysts similarly describe the current extremes as part of accelerated human-caused global warming combined with a supersized El Nino that is battering fields across the continent. [3]
What to watch next: Continued restrictions on irrigation in the Netherlands, further disruptions to Danube grain transport in Romania, and increasing frequency of compound extremes across East Asia as warming accelerates.
