RICE HARVESTS have been hard hit by global warming over the last 12 years, The Guardian reports.

Scientists in the Philippines have documented a link between rising temperatures and falling yields.

“This report provides direct evidence of decreased rice yields from increased night temperatures associated with global warming,” said the scientists.

Shaobing Peng, the research team leader, said their conclusion was probably an underestimate, because the crops on the farm were better protected than those in most fields.

Mr Peng estimated it would take two years to find out what caused the yield to fall.

Many climatologists predict a global rise of 3.5°C this century which, if the team‘s predictions prove accurate, could hit yields by a further 30%, The Guardian reports.