Heatwave seen trimming, not slashing EU grain harvest

A farmer watches as grain is harvested. REUTERS/Henning Bagger/Scanpix/File Photo

Gus Trompiz and Michael Hogan

A record-breaking heatwave in western Europe may trim grain harvest production but the searing heat is not expected to last long enough to cause the kind of severe crop losses seen during a drought last year.

The unusually early summer heatwave has gripped parts of continental Europe this week, bringing the highest temperatures on record in France on Friday.