In the Brazilian heat wave, the coffee market burns in the trees.

The farmers can't break through the weather now. While cold attacks threaten winter crops in the United States, scorching temperatures are endangering record prospects for Brazil's coffee harvest.

The usually sturdy robusta beans-used for instant coffee and espresso-are even roasted before unheated heating in Holy Spirit and Bahia. According to weather data, the highest temperature this month is 8 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than that of major oil-producing countries.

Burnt coffee

Coffee beans are scorched by heat in the state of Espiritu Santo, New Venice.

"beans are burned in hot conditions and without rain," Eddie Milson Calegari, general manager of Brazil's top powerful cooperative Cooabriel, said on the phone in San Gabriel da Parha (Sao Gabriel da Palha), north of Espirito Santo.

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Calegari said that during several days of high temperatures, one side of the coffee fruit exposed to the sun was dehydrated, preventing the beans from forming normally inside.

According to Somar, crop optimism increased after heavy rains in the second half of last year, with the Robusta coffee area in Espirito Santo measuring just 5mm (0.2in) in January, lagging behind the 150mm average for the month.

The main problem, however, is scorching, with temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius. Celso Oliveira, a meteorologist at Somar in S ã o Paulo, said by telephone that plants that grow for up to nine hours a day with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

The Holy Spirit and Bahia account for more than 80% of Brazil's coffee production. The southern state of Bahia was the hardest hit.

"in Bahia, crop conditions are very bad because they don't have irrigation to relieve plant pressure," proprietors say.

High temperatures may mean strong crop misses estimates

Before the heat wave, Brazil's Robusta coffee harvest is expected to reach record levels, rebounding from the severe drought of 2016. Conab, a crop agency, estimates that the country produces 54.5 million bags of coffee, of which 16.3 million come from apocynum beans.

"some farmers predict a loss rate of 10% to 15%," he said. "We will definitely reduce production, and so far we can't estimate anything."

Somar's Oliveira says rain is likely to return to the Holy Spirit on February 4, and heavy rains over the next seven days are expected to cause temperatures to drop. Until then, Robusta crops will continue to be under pressure, with temperatures forecast to reach 35 degrees Celsius, he said. "in southern Bahia, the outlook is not very optimistic because precipitation will resume after February 8."