The World Conker Championships, held annually in Southwick, Northamptonshire, could be cancelled this year after repeated heatwaves left Britain's chestnuts too small and shrivelled to use in competition. Organisers say the event, which draws around 2,500 spectators and 256 competitors, needs 3,000 large conkers roughly two inches wide to go ahead, and this summer's hot, dry conditions appear to have produced the worst harvest on record.

A final decision will be made at a meeting on 30 September, following a nationwide review of conker trees by committee members and reports from the public on nut quality. Spokesperson St John Burkett said some trees have no conkers at all, others have unripe husks, and many have produced only small nuts that break too easily to play with, adding that other water-stressed trees such as apples, pears and hawthorns have also suffered poor yields. The championships previously made headlines in 2024 over a cheating scandal involving a steel dummy conker, which prompted the introduction of airport-style security scanners at last year's event.