UK declares drought and restricts water use

Yesterday, the British government announced a drought in twelve regions of England, with consequent restrictions on the domestic and commercial use of water for residents of those areas.

The state of drought was announced at the end of a meeting of the so-called National Drought Group, which was formed, among others, by representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, the water companies, the Environment Agency and the National Livestock Federation (NFU). As well as the water service regulator Ofwat.

Affected areas include parts of southwest, south and central England and the whole of eastern England, namely: Devon, Cornwall, Solent, South Downs, Kent, South and North London, Hurts, East Anglia, Thames region, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire and the East Midlands region.

The British government statement, picked up by the Sky News chain, urges residents and businesses in the affected areas to be “fully aware” of the current pressure on resources and asks them to use water “wisely”.

Britain’s Secretary of State for Water, Steve, said: “We are better prepared than ever for periods of dry weather, but will continue to closely monitor the situation, including the impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as necessary.” Double, after a meeting of the National Drought Group.

Double said the country is “experiencing a second heat wave, after what was the driest July on record in parts of the country. The government and other partners are already taking action, including the Environment Agency, to manage the impacts.” “All the water companies have assured us that essential supplies remain safe, and we have made it clear that they have a duty to maintain those supplies,” Doble added.

Yorkshire Water Services Limited yesterday became the fourth British company to ban the use of hoses to water gardens or wash cars from August 26. Yorkshire Water serves 5.4 million people and 140,000 businesses, according to its website.

England suffered its driest July since 1935, with just 35% of the month’s average rainfall, and parts of England and Wales are now in the midst of a four-day “extreme heat” warning.

The alert for the current heat wave, amber one below maximum (red), will be in effect until tomorrow and will particularly affect central and southern England and part of Wales. In some areas, temperatures can reach 37 degrees Celsius, but lower than those recorded in the first heat wave at the beginning of last July, when it reached 40 degrees Celsius.

In the heat wave in July, the UK recorded unusual summer temperatures and for the first time the country had to declare a red alert.

According to the Met Office, there is an “exceptional” risk of fires because the pastures are so dry due to the lack of rain, a situation that has lasted more than a month, and has been recommended by residents who avoid barbecues.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, on the other hand, temperatures are around 25°C.

However, the drought is not only affecting the UK, where temperatures above 35°C were again expected yesterday. Data from the end of July shows that 47% of EU countries are facing drought warning conditions and 17% are in alert levels, according to European Drought Observatory.

Wildfires erupted in France, where it was hit by a third heat wave and the worst drought on record. The German Weather Service (DWD) has also warned that there is a very high risk of forest fires in some areas.