In general, crop condition was above average in many parts of the continental Western European MPZ based on the integration of agroclimatic and agronomic indicators. 

The agroclimatic indicators show that total rainfall was 22% below average over the region, resulting from marked negative departures in central England, southwest Germany, most of France, the north and south of Italy, eastern Austria, and southern Hungary. The most severely affected country was France with a 36% drop nationwide. Exceptional positive departures, however, were recorded over most of Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, northwest Austria, the south of Slovakia, northern Hungary, and east and western parts of England from late February to mid-March and also in early April, as well as in southwest France and northern Spain in a period from late January to mid-February and in late March. Abundant precipitation, with accumulated values above 120 mm, was recorded in northern Italy from mid-February to mid-March, while sparse rainfall was registered in northeastern Italy in April. More rain is needed in some Western European countries for winter crop growth and the early stages of summer crops.

Radiation for the MPZ as a whole was 2% below average, and so was temperature (-0.3°C). A cold spell persisted throughout January in central Europe with several days with minimum temperatures around -15°C. Since the first days of February, however, temperatures have exceeded their long-term-average by 1 to 4°C in most of Europe, and frost events were sparse. Drier-than-usual weather conditions were observed in southern Italy. The exceptionally mild temperature conditions in late February and late March have been favorable for winter crop growth and spring sowing activities. Low minimum temperatures that set in after early April, however, are likely to have affected flowering rapeseed in eastern France, western and southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia. 

Due to the continuous rainfall deficit (especially after early March), and coupled with the impact of low temperature (in particular in France, the United Kingdom, northern Italy, northeast Austria, the south of Hungary, and the middle of Spain), the biomass accumulation potential BIOMSS was 16% below the recent five-year average. The lowest BIOMSS values (-20% and less) occurred in France, the south of the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and the south of Hungary. In contrast, BIOMSS was above average (sometimes exceeding a 10% departure) in parts of Germany, the Czech Republic, and Denmark.

The average maximum VCI for the MPZ reached a value of 0.84 during this reporting period, indicating favorable crop condition. More than 94% of arable lands were cropped, which is the same as the recent five-year average. Most uncropped arable land is concentrated in Spain, southeast France, and northern Italy.

Generally, crop condition in Western Europe was favorable, but more rain is needed in several important crop production areas to sustain good yields.

a. Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles     b. Profiles of rainfall departure from average (mm) 

c. Spatial distribution of temperature profiles  d. Profiles of temperature departure from average (mm) 

e. Maximum VCI                                             f. Cropped arable land

g. Biomass accumulation potential departure                                h. VHI minimum