Warm weather and widespread showers promoted crop development, though locally dry conditions lingered in southern Europe.
A warm, southerly flow developed over the continent as a broad area of high pressure shifted south and began to weaken.
Temperatures averaged 2 to 5°C above normal across most major growing areas (locally up to 8°C above normal in central Europe), with daytime highs topping 30°C from Spain and France into the Balkans.
Temperatures were not high enough (peak values were at or below 32°C) to stress reproductive to filling winter grains and oilseeds in northern Europe, while corn in southern Europe had not yet reached the temperature-sensitive tasselling stage of development.
A series of weak disturbances generated widespread showers and thunderstorms over the continent, but parts of southern Europe were dry.
In particular, locally heavy rainfall (25-70 mm) in southwestern France boosted moisture reserves for vegetative corn and sunflowers, while lighter showers (2-20 mm) in England, northern France, Germany, and western Poland were beneficial for vegetative small grains and summer crops.
Likewise, light to moderate showers (2-30 mm) were favourable for early corn and cotton development in Greece and the lower Balkans, while dry weather in the central Danube River Valley promoted winter crop maturation and early summer crop development following a wet spring.
Nevertheless, pockets of dryness maintained some concerns for corn, soybeans, and sunflowers over western and northern Italy into central and southeastern Spain.
