Farmers across northern Europe are growing increasingly anxious as an ongoing drought threatens to damage key crops, with some regions experiencing their driest conditions in decades. From Scotland to the Netherlands, fears are mounting that if the dry weather continues, harvests of wheat, barley, corn, and rapeseed could suffer significant losses.
Agricultural experts warn that insufficient rainfall can hinder crop development. Nicolas Guilpart, a lecturer in agronomy at AgroParisTech, explained that water shortages stunt plant growth, particularly during crucial early stages. Areas in France, Belgium, Germany, and the UK have all reported substantially below-average spring rainfall, leaving fields dry and cracked.
In Britain, the Environment Agency has classified reservoir levels as “exceptionally low,” and some farmers have resorted to irrigating their fields earlier than usual. The National Farmers’ Union is calling for greater investment in infrastructure to improve water capture and storage.
Luke Abblitt, a farmer in eastern England, described this spring as the driest in over a hundred years and said the weather has become increasingly unpredictable. “We’re going from one extreme to another,” he said. “Heavy winter rain followed by spring and summer droughts. We need to rethink our cultivation practices, explore different crop types, and adapt to these increasingly erratic conditions.”
Record-Breaking Dryness Across the Region
In the Netherlands, this spring has been the driest since national records began in 1906. Meanwhile, Germany has seen only 40 litres of rain per square metre between February and mid-April—its lowest figure since 1931. The German Environment Ministry has already issued warnings of increased forest fire risks and anticipated poor harvests.
Denmark, too, is facing unusual dryness. The Danish Meteorological Institute recorded just 63 millimetres of rainfall over the last three months, ranking it among the seven driest such periods since 1874. The country has also experienced unseasonably warm temperatures. By mid-May, its drought index—a scale from one to ten—had surpassed nine, a first for this time of year since the index was created in 2005.
In Sweden, farming groups say it’s too early to fully assess the potential damage, but have already advised farmers to update and review their water management strategies in preparation for a dry summer.
Surface Water in High Demand
France presents a mixed picture. While underground water reserves remain stable, surface water—crucial for crop nourishment—is in short supply. Northern France was officially placed on drought alert at the start of the week. Between February and early May, the region received rainfall levels normally expected in a single month.
Persistent northeast winds have worsened conditions by drying out the soil even further. As a result, irrigation is becoming more widespread, especially in areas where it was previously unheard of. In Beuvry-la-Forêt, rainfall during the spring months was eight times lower than the same period last year.
Chicory grower Sébastien De Coninck said that prior to five years ago, irrigation was almost unheard of in northern France. Now, it can be the difference between a failed harvest and a profitable one, sometimes doubling yields. However, Guilpart warns that access to irrigation depends heavily on available resources, such as nearby rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers.