That's more than floods and hurricanes combined. Because New Jersey tomatoes are ripening prematurely, farmers can't stretch out the selling season. As a result, much of the crop that hasn't spoiled is coming to market all at once, says farmer Mike Martz . So, for now, there's a tomato glut, which lowers prices. Wine Grape growers in the Northeast can't get enough of the hot, dry weather.
Sunshine produces sugar in the grapes, and the more sugar as the fruit ripens, the better the wine.
And heat causes the plant to perspire, forcing water to ooze through the plant that contributes to the intensity of the fruit flavor. Chesapeake Bay Drought-related fish kills have become a common occurrence as bay tributaries dry up, producing water that has too much salt and not enough oxygen for aquatic life. But jellyfish, with their irritating stings, have not been deterred. They are not uncommon in the bay, but are appearing much farther north than usual and in larger numbers. While that's kept some swimmers out of the water, it's turned the Chesapeake into a working laboratory for marine biologists.