Britain's potato crop is under threat from heatwaves, farmers have warned. Chips may soon be shorter and baked potatoes could be hard to come by as high temperatures stunt spuds' growth. It means chips may be shorter and baking potatoes may not grow to the expected size. Cedric Porter, a potato market analyst, said August was a key month for potatoes putting on weight, but most had stopped growing. England and Wales have had their driest July in records dating back to 1836, provisional statistics from the Met Office show.