The EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski has said that 47% of the EU is currently impacted by drought warning conditions, while a further 17% is on alert.
Taking to social media, the commissioner said that drought and hot temperatures have been recorded particularly in central and north-western and southern areas of Europe.
Wojciechowski stated: “The yield outlook for European summer crops is reduced due to continued hot and/or dry weather conditions in large parts of Europe.
“Yield forecasts for grain maize, sunflowers and soybeans are below the five-year average. Forecasts for winter crops remain close to the five-year average.
“We are in constant contact with member states and remain available to continue assisting them to use to their full extent the possibilities to support farmers that are provided within the framework of the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy [CAP].”
Conditions in Ireland
Met Éireann has said that daytime temperatures this weekend could possibly reach the low 30s in some areas.
A Status Yellow weather warning for high temperatures is currently in place for Munster and Leinster and will be extended to the entire country since midday today (Friday, August 12).
The warning will remain in place until 6:00a.m on Sunday (August 14).
However, the national forecaster has said that the hot conditions are set to give way to lower temperatures next week.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) issued a ‘Condition Orange’ forest fire warning for the coming days.
Due to the current weather patterns, the department said that a high fire-risk is deemed to exist in all areas where “hazardous fuels” such as dead grasses and shrub fuels like gorse and heather are present.