Europe’s spring has brought unexpected challenges as temperatures have plunged across the continent, impacting food supplies and agriculture.
In the Balkan states, a sudden drop in temperatures from record highs to unseasonal lows has led to snow and ice, devastating crops. Fruit farmers like Franjo Crnković in Croatia have seen their harvest destroyed. He mentioned, “It was very warm, we even had temperatures of up to 30 degrees one day, and then all of a sudden it dropped to below zero. The fruits are all destroyed.”
In Poland, strawberry farms have been hit hard by frosts reaching as low as -8°C, causing significant damage to the crops.
However, farmers in the Netherlands have come up with a creative solution to protect their fruit trees. By spraying the buds with water, a frozen crust forms that provides insulation and releases heat as it melts, keeping the buds slightly warmer and preventing them from perishing. Fruit farmer Joost van Diepen explained, “The layer of ice provides insulation and latent heat, keeping the fruit temperature just above freezing.”
At higher altitudes, heavy snowfalls have made driving difficult, leading many to switch back to winter tires for safety.
Weather forecasters anticipate that these extreme conditions will persist into the following week, posing ongoing challenges for farmers and residents across Europe.
