Heatwaves Cause Early Harvest Impact

By Anders Lorenzen

Data released by the European Union (EU) have shown that widespread European extreme heat that started in the Spring and lasted throughout the summer, and even in some places is still occurring into the autumn, has significantly impacted agriculture.

Maize, rapeseed and winter wheat matured and were harvested in Europe much earlier in 2026 than at the turn of the century, data show, as the warming climate upsets ​farming throughout the continent.

Early maturity

Winter wheat reached maturity ‌in some parts of the European Union 20 days earlier than in 2000, with similar intervals observed for rapeseed and corn.

Scientists say that Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent; hardly anywhere in the European continent was spared from extreme heat this Spring and summer. In fact, heatwaves are still ravaging many parts of southern Europe well into September. The first heatwaves occurred as early as May, and this pushed crop maturity ever earlier. 

Crop quality decline

Additional data from France, one of the European countries with the most severe extreme heat this year, show a drastic decline in crop quality. The French farm office, FranceAgriMer, has estimated that as of the 31st of August, only 27% of the country’s grain maize crop was deemed to be in a good or excellent condition. This is the lowest score the organisation has given to the crop since these records began in 2011. 

Additionally, the French agricultural ministry has forecast a 35% drop in grain maize production this year compared with last year, while some analysts have predicted it could decline as much as 50%, which would amount to its lowest level since 1976.

The dominant cereal grain, wheat, which is vulnerable to drought and extreme heat, has emerged as the biggest loser of the 2026 European crop harvests.

As the above table indicates, wheat output was nine million tonnes down compared to 2025, with all grains down by roughly 14 million tonnes. 

In southern and central Europe, the June heatwave alone wiped out over €2 billion in cereal value. Severe late damage hit crops across Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Poland.

While the UK is suffering one of its driest seasons on record—leaving parts of southeast regions like Kent completely parched—the UK is registering steep drops in wheat, barley, and oat yields, marking one of its weakest harvests in recent history.

The outliers

While Europe’s cereal grains have had a disastrous 2026, other crops fared much better. 

Irrigated crops in Spain and Portugal, driven by high-functioning reservoir infrastructure, achieved the largest yield increases in Europe for crops grown under managed irrigation.   

Bulgaria and Romania in eastern Europe bucked the Western European trend; Romania and Bulgaria recorded grain maize yields more than 10% above their five-year averages due to a more favourable moisture balance in early summer. 

Another winner was berry crops that saw an initial heavy yield boost because of the prolonged, intense sunlight. However, agriculturalists warn this could see a late-season correction as plants become prematurely exhausted from heavy early cropping.

A bleak year

While there’s some outliers, overall the crop harvest picture in Europe this year is a bleak one, and it will re-introduce a debate whether the continent should evaluate the crops the grow. Especially as the most widely grown crop, wheat, which covers around a quarter of Europe’s arable land is highly vulnerable to extreme weather shocks such as heat and drought and on the other end of the scale also extreme wet conditions and late frosts.

Anders Lorenzen is the founding Editor of A greener life, a greener world.

Related