Crop producers are becoming aware of a slow rise in air temperatures in the past years, which is often coupled with a lack of precipitation during the summer months. In Croatia, insufficient water supply (water stress) is easily observed for late spring crops such as maize and soybean since their growing season is occurring during the hottest and driest part of the year (July and August). In general, crop damage is increased with the extended period of water shortage during the growing season because of slower growth and lower leaf area, which in turn, result in greatly reduced biological and economic yield. A severe drought occurring during the critical period for water has the largest negative impact on the biological and economic yield of field crops, and in some cases, may result in total yield loss. Consequently, the drought primarily affects the biological and economic yield of arable crops, while its effect on the quality is less evident. This professional paper presents the negative effect of high air temperatures and water shortage on the yield and quality of maize and soybeans, two most widely grown spring crops in Croatia.