Longer hotter and drier spells in countries around the world due to climate change could hit important global crops within the next 50 years.
A new study led by the University of Reading has shown that climate change is leading to longer dry spells in the dry season which can affect crops grown during dry seasons in tropical countries, as the number of days with no rain increases by 2070-2099.
The researchers found that northeast South America and southwest Africa will experience dry spells that last 5-10 days longer on average, with the Mediterranean, Australia, Central America, and South America and broader southern Africa also seeing longer periods with no rain.
South America, southern Africa and parts of Asia are expected to see peak dry season temperatures rise by as much as 7°C - up to 3°C more than the warming experienced in the wet season – with parts of these regions experiencing season average maximum temperatures of 35°C and above.
