Hot August follows hottest July to deteriorate crop conditions
Weather conditions in the northern hemisphere were hot again in August while corn and soybean conditions drop to their lowest levels since 2012.
Transcript
The Northern Hemisphere has just had its hottest summer ever measured as August capped a brutal season of deadly temperatures according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Last month was the hottest August on record - second only to July 2023 in overall hot months.
Ocean temperatures topped 69.8 degrees, also the highest recorded.
An El Nino year is known for warmer conditions, but so far 2016 is still the hottest according to the European weather service Copernicus.
The condition of U.S. corn and soybeans again deteriorated - now to the point that it was in 2012.
Extreme heat and continued dry patterns zapped many acres. USDA’s weekly snapshot revealed 53 percent of the nation’s soybean crop as good to excellent.
The corn crop is in a similar position with 53 percent listed as good-to-excellent.
This is the lowest rating at this point in the season since the historic drought of 2012.
The current Drought Monitor from the University of Nebraska reveals 50.98 percent of the country in some form of drought, an increase over the last week. Heavy rainfall from hurricanes and tropical storms helped overall national numbers, but in the Midwest, expansion of D2 and D3 conditions were commonplace.
For Market to Market, I’m Josh Buettner.
Contact: Paul.Yeager@IowaPBS.org