"BROOKSVILLE, Ky. — Even as the sun started to set, the day’s heat was still hanging in the air as Annie Woods walked back out to harvest squash and zucchini on her 50-acre farm.
Prolonged and intense heat is part of a climate change-driven pattern of weather extremes that has also led to intense flooding and prolonged drought. For farmers, this means shorter planting windows and potential loss of crops because of periods of early-season heat followed by a freeze.
“I think it’s pretty safe to assume these kind of heat waves aren’t going away or they’re not freak occurrences,” Woods said.
The recent heat dome, a high-pressure weather system that traps heat and humidity over a region, affected some specialty farmers who produce crops of fruits and vegetables. Human-driven climate change also has brought more intense heat waves and other extreme weather."
Joshua A. Bickel reports for the Associated Press July 8, 2026.
