Farmers across the country have been trying to get ripe crops in the barn before further thunderstorms forecast for this weekend.

But with many crops still a week or more away from ripening, there have been plenty of other jobs to do.

In the Scottish Borders, Stuart Fuller-Shapcott had been flat out spraying crops off with glyphosate at Sweethope, Kelso.

“We’ve got plenty to do – we’ve taken on more contracting ground here and we’re frantically busy,” he said.

However, the combine had put in its first appearance. “We went twice round the headland in the winter barley yesterday (17 July). It looks pretty good, although only time will tell.”

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Very little had yet been cut in Tyne & Wear, according to Geoff Alderslade at West Fellgate Farm, Wardley.

“I’ve seen a little bit of barley cut, but that was for crimping,” he said.

“We sprayed our barley off a week ago, so all being well with the weather we should start combining next week.”

However, further south, Dan Kiddy was making excellent progress with harvest at William Kerr Farms, Woodbridge, Suffolk, and was delighted with yields so far.

“We’ve been combining until the early hours of the morning for the past few days, and will do so again today,” he said.

“There have been storms forecast for the weekend so everyone around here has abandoned the winter barley in favour of combining oilseed rape before it all drops on the floor.”

In contrast, harvest was still at least a week away at Model Farm, Hanchurch, Staffordshire, where Stephen Sant had been busy desiccating oilseed rape for clients.

“I do quite a lot of contract spraying, and there are odd bits of winter barley cut on the lighter land around here,” he said.

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However, with heavier land at Hanchurch, Mr Sant’s winter barley wouldn’t be ready until next weekend at the earliest.

In Hampshire, Neil Saunders had finished combining oilseed rape at DJ & ME Saunders & Son, Winchester, and had now started cutting winter barley.

“The Camelot oilseed rape was very disappointing,” he said. “I did feel the canopy hadn’t formed well, so it was no great surprise. But that said, I’m pretty optimistic about the rest of harvest.”