Temperatures during the Easter holiday were more reminiscent of summer, with several daily heat records broken, before dropping by 10-20ºC last Tuesday.

In the first three months of the year, with the exception of the western and northern parts of the country, rainfall was 30-60 mm below the long-term average over much of the country, and this shortfall is reflected in soil moisture.

At the end of last year, the soil was replenished throughout the country thanks to regular precipitation, but since then, only the layer deeper than half a meter has retained its moisture content. Near the surface of the Great Plain, the soil has been critically dry since mid-March.