EU: Either more water or more drought than usual

From April 1 to May 14, 2023, which is the period that includes the latest bulletin on the state of the harvests in the EU, prepared by the European Commission (MARS Bulletin), it was marked by patterns of strong meteorological contrasts or drier conditions or wetter than usual conditions. Although crops were affected in many areas, a good yield outlook remains in most regions, except for the Iberian Peninsula, where dry conditions have intensified. In both Spain and Portugal, yield forecasts for all major crops have fallen well below last year's low level. In the area stretching from Ireland to Bulgaria and the Ukraine there was a clear excess of rainfall and/or colder than usual conditions, causing delays in planting of summer crops and hampering other field operations. An important positive aspect of the excess rainfall is that, from a crop water supply perspective, soil moisture and groundwater levels in most affected areas are currently at a very favorable level for this time ...