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Storm Adel Devastates Greek Olive Oil Harvest
9 Feb
Summary
- Storm Adel brought heavy rains and hail, damaging olive trees and crops.
- Olive oil crop is expected to be halved compared to the previous year.
- Climate change fuels intense storms, threatening long-term olive production.
In November 2025, Greece experienced the severe impact of Storm Adel, a powerful weather event that brought two days of heavy rainfall, strong winds, and widespread flooding. The storm's intensity caused olive trees to be struck down and intense hail to dislodge olives and branches, leaving farmers like Petros Athanasopoulos comparing the aftermath to snowfall. This damage significantly threatens the region's olive oil production, with agriculturist Yiorgos Korrinis forecasting a halving of the olive oil crop compared to the previous year.
This recent event compounds existing challenges for Greek olive oil production, which has suffered from weak yields in previous years due to drought and pests. The Mediterranean is identified as a climate hotspot, and rising global temperatures are increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like Storm Adel. These conditions pose a significant threat to the global olive oil industry, with projections of substantial drops in production in countries like Spain by 2100.
In response to these escalating threats, there is an urgent call to adapt the agricultural system in the Mediterranean. Efforts are focusing on developing resilient technologies and implementing sustainable farming practices, such as drip irrigation and cover cropping, to help olive trees withstand harsh conditions. Innovations in resilient olive tree processing systems are also being developed to safeguard production against extreme weather.
