Drought grips northern Europe as farmers brace for poor harvests

A combine harvest in Lincolnshire, eastern England, as Britain suffers its driest spring in over a century. © Ben Stansall, Ben Stansall / AFP

Paris (AFP) – Parts of northern Europe have seen their worst drought in decades in recent weeks, with farmers from Scotland to the Netherlands fearing the dry spell will dent harvests if it continues.

Water shortages can stunt the growth of crops such as wheat, corn, rapeseed and barley, Nicolas Guilpart, a lecturer in agronomy at the Agro Paris Tech research institute, told AFP.