UK farmers warn of food shortages as record heat triggers early harvest

Extreme heatwaves across the United Kingdom have accelerated crop maturation, prompting Waitrose to conduct its earliest wheat and oilseed rape harvest ever at the Leckford Estate in Hampshire. The supermarket, the only UK retailer to own and operate its own farm, cited record‑breaking temperatures as a "wake‑up call" for climate‑driven farming practices.

The National Farmers Union warned that only about 3% of the average July rainfall has fallen, creating the longest dry spell in southeast England in over three decades. Officials announced heat‑related health alerts for six regions and imposed water bans affecting more than 10 million customers, while fire crews tackled several grass fires in London. An estimated 9 million tonnes of crops across the UK and EU have been lost, raising concerns over food prices and supply over the coming weeks.