With soil moisture supplies currently favorable over most major winter crop areas of northern and eastern Europe, sunny skies and above-normal temperatures (4-8°C above normal) favored the development of vegetative wheat and rapeseed from northern France and southeastern England into eastern Europe.
Furthermore, producers were able to plant small grains at a rapid pace, particularly from the Low Countries into the Baltic States.
Likewise, dry conditions over the Mediterranean coastal areas allowed citrus harvesting to gain momentum, while light to moderate showers (2-18 mm) increased topsoil moisture in northern Italy for corn planting.
Farther west, widespread showers (2-20 mm, locally more) over central and western Spain were timely for vegetative to reproductive wheat and barley, while locally more than 20 mm of rain in southwestern France boosted soil moisture for corn and sunflower planting (typically sown during the latter half of April).