Romania’s farmlands have taken a hard hit from a wave of violent spring storms this week, with hail and flooding wiping out large portions of this season’s crops. As temperatures plunge and weather alerts remain in place, the Environment Minister has warned of a possible year without Romanian-grown produce. Urban areas saw dramatic scenes, but the lasting scars are on the fields.
Recent floods in Queensland, Australia, have killed or displaced more than 144 000 livestock, across more than 500 000 km² (193 000 mi2) of land. The disaster, triggered by heavy rainfall and Cyclone Alfred, has also damaged essential infrastructure, affecting farmers and markets.
A severe hailstorm hit El Ejido, Spain on Monday, October 28, 2024, destroying 4 500 ha (11 000 acres) of greenhouses and losses reaching up to million dollars. This event took place just one day before the worst floods in Spain’s history hit Valencia, claiming the lives of over 200 people.
Kaki and citrus fruits were destroyed by the hail in Valencia at the beginning of the season, reported after an assessment by the Valencia Farmers Association (AVA-ASAJA) on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
Floods in Bangladesh destroyed around 1.1 million tons of rice this year with August and October 2024 having had the worst impact.
Georgia farmers have suffered over $6 billion worth of losses due to Hurricane “Helene” according to preliminary estimates released on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
With 58 fatalities and crop damage across 80 000 ha (197 684 acres) of agricultural land, Karnataka is experiencing above-average monsoon rains in 2024. In some regions, rainfall has exceeded the averages by 24 – 28 percent, and the situation may worsen as heavy rains are forecasted to resume from August 16, 2024.
Unusually cold temperatures have severely impacted agriculture in South Africa this month, particularly in Limpopo Province.
Flooding has affected millions of acres of farmland in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa, causing severe damage to the farmlands and farming communities of the most crucial regions of U.S. crop production. Experts estimate a reduction of almost 1 214 100 ha (3 million acres) worth of soybean and corn crops.
This spring, regions across the Midwest and Southeast are poised to experience an extraordinary natural event, with the simultaneous emergence of two periodical cicada broods. This rare phenomenon, last recorded in 1803, is anticipated to involve billions, possibly trillions, of cicadas.
