British farmers have faced a challenging harvest season, with lower crop yields following the hottest summer on record. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), a UK organization that provides data and guidance for the farming industry, reported that both the quantity and quality of crops have been negatively affected. Key crops like wheat, spring barley, and oats have all seen below-average yields, while winter barley and oilseed rape performed slightly better than expected. Wheat, a staple crop in the UK, saw average yields of 6.9 tonnes per hectare, which is slightly higher than August estimates but still 11 per cent below the national five-year average and well below the 10-year average of 7.9 tonnes. Spring barley averaged 4.8 tonnes per hectare, 17 per cent below its five-year average, and oat yields averaged 4.6 tonnes per hectare, 14 per cent below the UK average. In contrast, oilseed rape crops fared better, with an average yield of 4 tonnes per hectare—19 per cent above the five-year average. The impact of the extreme weather was not uniform across the country. The AHDB noted that wheat yields ranged from as low as 3.9 tonnes per hectare to as high as 11.5 tonnes per hectare, depending on the region and farm. Prolonged dry conditions have not only reduced yields but also affected the quality of the crops, particularly in areas that experienced the most severe yield losses. This year's extreme weather has been linked to climate change, which is primarily driven by the burning of fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and industrial processes, as well as deforestation and agricultural practices. The UK has seen record-breaking heatwaves in May and June, followed by the driest July on record for England and Wales, leading to drought conditions in much of Wales and parts of England. This follows a dry spring and a wet winter, creating what experts call "weather whiplash." Farmers in the worst-affected areas are now dealing with high input costs and the added challenge of managing lower yields and variable quality, which could complicate grain storage and sales in the coming months.