Western FSUDrier, somewhat cooler conditions followed early-week showers, maintaining mostly favorable prospects for summer crops.
A cold front triggered widespread showers and thunderstorms (10-70 mm, locally more) early in the period across Russia and Belarus, sustaining adequate to abundant moisture supplies for reproductive summer crops.
The front also brought an end to the short-lived but intense mid-July heat wave, with daytime highs slipping below 35°C until week’s end.
Consequently, corn and sunflowers progressed through reproduction with little - if any - additional heat stress, though some yield losses from the recent hot spell are likely in southern Russia.
Corn in Russia’s Southern District was subjected to as many as 6 days of high heat (35-41°C) in mid- to late-July as the crop progressed through the tassel and silk stages of development.
Meanwhile, the sunny, warm weather later in the week favored winter wheat harvesting and enabled field preparations in advance of winter wheat planting, which typically occurs in late August and September.
Despite a favorably wet summer to date, localized short-term dryness has developed in west-central Ukraine; over the past 30 days, this region has reported less than 50 percent of normal rainfall, reducing moisture supplies for reproductive corn and soybeans.
Eastern FSU
Widespread rain and near- to below-normal temperatures maintained favorable prospects for spring wheat, while increasing heat accelerated cotton into the open-boll stage of development in the south.
Another round of showers and thunderstorms (10-50 mm, locally more) over northern Kazakhstan and adjacent portions of central Russia maintained good to excellent yield prospects for flowering to filling spring wheat.
Furthermore, heat has not been an issue due to the cloudy, rainy weather, with temperatures averaging up to 2°C below normal for the week.
However, drier weather will be needed soon to maintain the current favorable crop projections.
Farther south, increasing heat (daytime highs 38-42°C) in Uzbekistan accelerated cotton into the open-boll stage of development, likely putting much of the crop past the point of significant yield impacts from this week’s above-normal temperatures (1-2°C above normal).