Beer lovers face price spikes, shortages as climate changes - study

A waitress carries mugs of beer during the opening day of the 185th Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany September 22, 2018. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Climate change will brew trouble for beer lovers in coming decades as it shrinks yields of barley, the top grain used to make the world's most popular alcoholic drink, a study published on Monday said.

Extreme weather events featuring both heat waves and droughts will occur as often as every two or three years in the second half of the century if temperatures rise at current rates, the study said.