European Farmers Face Severe Drought as Heatwaves Hit UK and France

Record-breaking heatwaves and prolonged drought across Europe have devastated crops and forced farms to confront water scarcity. In Norfolk, UK, farmer Tim Young reports that rainfall over the past six years has fallen to one‑third of previous levels, prompting the UK Environment Agency to suspend his water‑abstraction licence and forcing him to purchase water at inflated prices. He is considering building a reservoir, but high costs and planning hurdles remain.

In France’s Dordogne region, ecological farmer Uyen Do describes vines dying and fields turning yellow, saying the climate changes are occurring faster than anticipated. French President Emmanuel Macron has called the wildfires the worst since World War II, while half of England has been officially declared a drought‑affected area. The combined impact threatens farm viability, raises food‑price pressures and underscores the accelerating pace of the climate crisis.