The rise in temperatures over the last ten days has put crops under threat. Daytime temperatures have rarely fallen below 20°C for more than a week, including in Northern Ireland's premier region for growing apples, Co Armagh. David Kane grows apples on a 60 acre site on his family farm just outside Loughgall. Kane Bros supplies the fruit to major supermarkets as well as popular cider brands in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Kane says that the younger trees, planted in May this year, are now beginning to struggle: "Their roots were so small going into the ground - they did have moisture when they were planted but now the ground has dried out. We have watered them a few times but it's not effective enough. The ground is so dry that even though we put the water on after dark, the heat of the ground is evaporating it. This week we're going to have to concentrate again on watering. If the tree gets stress now, that will affect it for its entire life."

Of course, apples aren't the only crop under threat; in 2022, there was a dramatic downturn in overall potato output across Europe due to the intense heat which swept across the continent last summer.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com