Widespread rain boosted summer crop prospects over much of the continent, with locally heavy downpours easing the impacts of recent heat in southern growing areas.
Light to moderate showers (2-20 mm, locally more) maintained or improved soil moisture as crops such as corn, soybeans, and sunflowers approached or progressed through the reproductive stages of development from east-central France into Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Somewhat drier conditions (2 mm or less) were noted in southern and northwestern France, southeastern England, northern Italy, and Hungary; in particular, dryness has adversely impacted vegetative to reproductive summer crops in northern Serbia and parts of Italy’s Po River Valley.
More notably, pockets of heavy rain (25-100 mm) in central Spain and the lower Danube River Valley eased the impacts of last week's heat and boosted moisture reserves for reproductive corn, sunflowers, and soybeans.
While temperatures over most of Europe averaged 2 to 5°C above normal, there were few concerns over heat stress with highs mainly in the lower to middle 30s.