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The Independent
a day ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Heatwave latest hit to farmers struggling with increasingly extreme weather
The heatwave is piling more pressure on farmers who were already struggling to produce food in the face of the very dry conditions. Much of the country is sweltering in a heatwave, with temperatures set to climb above 30C in many places over the weekend and an 'amber' heat-health alert issued warning of 'significant' impacts for health services. For farmers, the heatwave threatens to worsen the outlook for food production already struggling off the back of a record-hot and the driest spring in decades that has left north west England and Yorkshire in drought and other regions in prolonged dry conditions. The hot, dry spring came after a record wet spell which left many farmers struggling to sow crops last autumn, and led to warnings earlier this month of potentially the worst harvest on record for major arable crops if conditions did not improve. Farmers say the heatwave, following the dry spring, is putting 'real pressure' on farms across the country, and warn it will affect not just this year's harvest, but food availability into next year. They are warning of the need for investment in more resilient water supplies to help them cope with the more unpredictable extremes that climate change is bringing. National Farmers' Union (NFU) vice-president Rachel Hallos said: 'As the Met Office forecasts a heatwave this weekend, it's yet another reminder of the increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather our farmers and growers are facing. 'After warnings of thunderstorms at the start of the month, this switch to hot, dry weather reinforces just how urgently we need long-term planning and investment in water resilience. 'Drought puts immense pressure on crops, livestock and grass growth and threatens the availability of homegrown fruit and veg. 'Investing in water infrastructure – from on-farm rainwater harvesting to more flexible abstraction rules – will help farmers manage these extremes, grow more fresh produce here in the UK and reduce reliance on imports from other water scarce countries.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), who farms in Cambridgeshire, said: 'The ongoing heatwave, following an already dry spring, is putting real pressure on farms across the country. 'Crops are struggling, harvests are coming earlier and lighter, and many farmers are seeing yields fall without any meaningful uplift in prices to offset the loss. 'What's worrying is that this doesn't just hit the current harvest – it will affect food availability into next year too.' He warned most farms do not have infrastructure to store water, and without rainfall they do not have reserves to draw on, and he called for long-term support for water storage and better planning across river catchments. He also said nature-friendly farming plays a 'vital role' in building resilience to weather extremes. 'Practices like improving soil health, using cover crops, and integrating habitats into fields are helping farmers stay productive while cutting back on inputs. 'More support would help farms go further – it's practical, makes business sense, and helps protect the land they rely on,' he said. Earlier this week, the Environment Agency warned England faces 'huge' water shortages of billions of litres a day by the middle of the century to provide for public water supplies as well as for areas such as food and energy production, without action to cut leaks, curb use and build new infrastructure.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heatwave latest hit to farmers struggling with increasingly extreme weather
The heatwave is piling more pressure on farmers who were already struggling to produce food in the face of the very dry conditions. Much of the country is sweltering in a heatwave, with temperatures set to climb above 30C in many places over the weekend and an 'amber' heat-health alert issued warning of 'significant' impacts for health services. For farmers, the heatwave threatens to worsen the outlook for food production already struggling off the back of a record-hot and the driest spring in decades that has left north west England and Yorkshire in drought and other regions in prolonged dry conditions. The hot, dry spring came after a record wet spell which left many farmers struggling to sow crops last autumn, and led to warnings earlier this month of potentially the worst harvest on record for major arable crops if conditions did not improve. Farmers say the heatwave, following the dry spring, is putting 'real pressure' on farms across the country, and warn it will affect not just this year's harvest, but food availability into next year. They are warning of the need for investment in more resilient water supplies to help them cope with the more unpredictable extremes that climate change is bringing. National Farmers' Union (NFU) vice-president Rachel Hallos said: 'As the Met Office forecasts a heatwave this weekend, it's yet another reminder of the increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather our farmers and growers are facing. 'After warnings of thunderstorms at the start of the month, this switch to hot, dry weather reinforces just how urgently we need long-term planning and investment in water resilience. 'Drought puts immense pressure on crops, livestock and grass growth and threatens the availability of homegrown fruit and veg. 'Investing in water infrastructure – from on-farm rainwater harvesting to more flexible abstraction rules – will help farmers manage these extremes, grow more fresh produce here in the UK and reduce reliance on imports from other water scarce countries.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), who farms in Cambridgeshire, said: 'The ongoing heatwave, following an already dry spring, is putting real pressure on farms across the country. 'Crops are struggling, harvests are coming earlier and lighter, and many farmers are seeing yields fall without any meaningful uplift in prices to offset the loss. 'What's worrying is that this doesn't just hit the current harvest – it will affect food availability into next year too.' He warned most farms do not have infrastructure to store water, and without rainfall they do not have reserves to draw on, and he called for long-term support for water storage and better planning across river catchments. He also said nature-friendly farming plays a 'vital role' in building resilience to weather extremes. 'Practices like improving soil health, using cover crops, and integrating habitats into fields are helping farmers stay productive while cutting back on inputs. 'More support would help farms go further – it's practical, makes business sense, and helps protect the land they rely on,' he said. Earlier this week, the Environment Agency warned England faces 'huge' water shortages of billions of litres a day by the middle of the century to provide for public water supplies as well as for areas such as food and energy production, without action to cut leaks, curb use and build new infrastructure.
North Wales Chronicle
15-05-2025
- Climate
- North Wales Chronicle
Driest spring in over 100 years continues as farmers hope for ‘meaningful' rain
So far this spring, 80.6mm of rain has been recorded for the UK, nearly 20mm less than the record low for the full season of 100.7mm set in 1852. With more than two weeks of May left, the Met Office said it is too early to say how spring (March, April and May) as a whole will rank, but added that the high pressure bringing dry and warm conditions looks set to persist through this week and into the weekend. As we move through May, Spring 2025 is shaping up to be a contender for the record books, particularly when it comes to temperature, rainfall, and sunshine 🌡️🌂☀️ We take a look at what the spring stats are saying so far… 👇 — Met Office (@metoffice) May 14, 2025 The national weather service said on Wednesday that changeable conditions could arrive at the end of the next week. 'At the moment, the indications are that as we move towards the end of next week, we could start to see some more changeable conditions moving in from the west, which would bring some fresh temperatures and potentially something in the way of measurable rain,' Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon told the PA news agency. 'There are a couple of spells where we might see some very light showers at times in places over the next week or so, but nothing meaningful. 'And obviously sectors such as agriculture are really looking now for some meaningful rain.' Rachel Hallos, vice president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), said: 'The lack of any substantial rain over the past few weeks is starting to raise a few concerns although the picture across farming sectors is mixed. It's been an exceptionally dry, sunny and warm May so far but there is now a sign of a change by the end of May. Here's Aidan with the 10 day weather forecast 👇 — Met Office (@metoffice) May 14, 2025 'Farmers in some parts of the country have started irrigating much earlier than normal, but thankfully reservoirs are full following the wet autumn and winter and there are good stores of groundwater. 'The extreme weather patterns we now regularly experience are impacting our ability to feed the nation. As we highlight in the NFU Blueprints for Growth, the Government needs to recognise water for food production. 'This should include access to water in times of shortage to be secured through policies that support investment in water storage and water-use efficiency on farms, plus support for innovation in more water efficient crops and farming systems.' The Environment Agency has warned of a 'medium' risk of drought in England this summer without sustained rainfall. The Met Office said the driver for the prolonged warm and very dry spell has been high pressure. Mr Claydon said: 'It has been what's called a blocking high, which is when an area of high pressure becomes established and then essentially reinforces itself and bats away areas of low pressure, which would traditionally bring us more changeable conditions – fresher temperatures, for example, more spells of cloud and rain. 'Essentially we've had fairly blocked high pressure, really from February.' Temperatures are hovering around the May average high of 17.1C in the east and north east of England because of onshore breeze and building cloud, the Met Office said, but are a little above the average elsewhere in the UK. The temperatures fall some way short of the record high for this month of 32.8C, recorded in Regent's Park on May 29 1944. Responding to farmers' concerns, a Government spokesperson said: 'Our water infrastructure is crumbling after years of underinvestment, with population growth and climate change adding further strain. 'We are monitoring water levels and expect water companies to cut leaks and take action to protect supplies. 'Over £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, to help secure our future water supply for farmers.'
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Driest spring in over 100 years continues as farmers hope for ‘meaningful' rain
The driest spring so far in more than a century is continuing, the Met Office said, as some farmers hope for 'substantial' rain amid drought concerns. So far this spring, 80.6mm of rain has been recorded for the UK, nearly 20mm less than the record low for the full season of 100.7mm set in 1852. With more than two weeks of May left, the Met Office said it is too early to say how spring (March, April and May) as a whole will rank, but added that the high pressure bringing dry and warm conditions looks set to persist through this week and into the weekend. The national weather service said on Wednesday that changeable conditions could arrive at the end of the next week. 'At the moment, the indications are that as we move towards the end of next week, we could start to see some more changeable conditions moving in from the west, which would bring some fresh temperatures and potentially something in the way of measurable rain,' Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon told the PA news agency. 'There are a couple of spells where we might see some very light showers at times in places over the next week or so, but nothing meaningful. 'And obviously sectors such as agriculture are really looking now for some meaningful rain.' Rachel Hallos, vice president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), said: 'The lack of any substantial rain over the past few weeks is starting to raise a few concerns although the picture across farming sectors is mixed. 'Farmers in some parts of the country have started irrigating much earlier than normal, but thankfully reservoirs are full following the wet autumn and winter and there are good stores of groundwater. 'The extreme weather patterns we now regularly experience are impacting our ability to feed the nation. As we highlight in the NFU Blueprints for Growth, the Government needs to recognise water for food production. 'This should include access to water in times of shortage to be secured through policies that support investment in water storage and water-use efficiency on farms, plus support for innovation in more water efficient crops and farming systems.' The Environment Agency has warned of a 'medium' risk of drought in England this summer without sustained rainfall. The Met Office said the driver for the prolonged warm and very dry spell has been high pressure. Mr Claydon said: 'It has been what's called a blocking high, which is when an area of high pressure becomes established and then essentially reinforces itself and bats away areas of low pressure, which would traditionally bring us more changeable conditions – fresher temperatures, for example, more spells of cloud and rain. 'Essentially we've had fairly blocked high pressure, really from February.' Temperatures are hovering around the May average high of 17.1C in the east and north east of England because of onshore breeze and building cloud, the Met Office said, but are a little above the average elsewhere in the UK. The temperatures fall some way short of the record high for this month of 32.8C, recorded in Regent's Park on May 29 1944. Responding to farmers' concerns, a Government spokesperson said: 'Our water infrastructure is crumbling after years of underinvestment, with population growth and climate change adding further strain. 'We are monitoring water levels and expect water companies to cut leaks and take action to protect supplies. 'Over £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, to help secure our future water supply for farmers.'
Glasgow Times
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Glasgow Times
Driest spring in over 100 years continues as farmers hope for ‘meaningful' rain
So far this spring, 80.6mm of rain has been recorded for the UK, nearly 20mm less than the record low for the full season of 100.7mm set in 1852. With more than two weeks of May left, the Met Office said it is too early to say how spring (March, April and May) as a whole will rank, but added that the high pressure bringing dry and warm conditions looks set to persist through this week and into the weekend. As we move through May, Spring 2025 is shaping up to be a contender for the record books, particularly when it comes to temperature, rainfall, and sunshine 🌡️🌂☀️ We take a look at what the spring stats are saying so far… 👇 — Met Office (@metoffice) May 14, 2025 The national weather service said on Wednesday that changeable conditions could arrive at the end of the next week. 'At the moment, the indications are that as we move towards the end of next week, we could start to see some more changeable conditions moving in from the west, which would bring some fresh temperatures and potentially something in the way of measurable rain,' Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon told the PA news agency. 'There are a couple of spells where we might see some very light showers at times in places over the next week or so, but nothing meaningful. 'And obviously sectors such as agriculture are really looking now for some meaningful rain.' Rachel Hallos, vice president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), said: 'The lack of any substantial rain over the past few weeks is starting to raise a few concerns although the picture across farming sectors is mixed. It's been an exceptionally dry, sunny and warm May so far but there is now a sign of a change by the end of May. Here's Aidan with the 10 day weather forecast 👇 — Met Office (@metoffice) May 14, 2025 'Farmers in some parts of the country have started irrigating much earlier than normal, but thankfully reservoirs are full following the wet autumn and winter and there are good stores of groundwater. 'The extreme weather patterns we now regularly experience are impacting our ability to feed the nation. As we highlight in the NFU Blueprints for Growth, the Government needs to recognise water for food production. 'This should include access to water in times of shortage to be secured through policies that support investment in water storage and water-use efficiency on farms, plus support for innovation in more water efficient crops and farming systems.' The Environment Agency has warned of a 'medium' risk of drought in England this summer without sustained rainfall. The Met Office said the driver for the prolonged warm and very dry spell has been high pressure. The driest spring so far in over a century is set to continue into next week (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Mr Claydon said: 'It has been what's called a blocking high, which is when an area of high pressure becomes established and then essentially reinforces itself and bats away areas of low pressure, which would traditionally bring us more changeable conditions – fresher temperatures, for example, more spells of cloud and rain. 'Essentially we've had fairly blocked high pressure, really from February.' Temperatures are hovering around the May average high of 17.1C in the east and north east of England because of onshore breeze and building cloud, the Met Office said, but are a little above the average elsewhere in the UK. The temperatures fall some way short of the record high for this month of 32.8C, recorded in Regent's Park on May 29 1944. Responding to farmers' concerns, a Government spokesperson said: 'Our water infrastructure is crumbling after years of underinvestment, with population growth and climate change adding further strain. 'We are monitoring water levels and expect water companies to cut leaks and take action to protect supplies. 'Over £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, to help secure our future water supply for farmers.'
