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UK declares drought in parts of England amid intense heatwave, scanty rainfall

New Delhi: A drought has been declared in several areas of England by the National Drought Group of UK, following prolonged dry spells and scanty rainfall.

Multiple areas across western, southern, central and eastern England have moved into drought status after perpetual dry conditions. The National Drought Group, made up of senior decision makers from the Environment Agency, water companies and key representative groups, met Friday to “discuss the response to the driest summer in 50 years” and the course of action.

Some of the areas that have been moved into drought by the Environment Agency include Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and south London, among others.

“The current high temperatures we are experiencing have exacerbated pressures on wildlife and our water environment,” said Harvey Bradshaw, chair of the National Drought Group.

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in the UK has also predicted that harsh conditions could continue until October.

While the last drought announced in the region was in 2018, this is the driest weather for England since July 1935. The latest announcement could mean that many regions across the country will begin rationing water, and companies applying stricter measures to conserve resources.

Two water companies in Southern England — Southern Water and South East Water — have banned the use of hosepipes and sprinkler systems. Other water companies such as Welsh Water, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and others plan to apply similar restrictions over the next few days.

Many parts of England and Wales have also issued a four-day extreme heat amber warning, as temperatures are expected to hit 37 degrees Celsius.

EU nations too facing drought-like conditions

Harsh weather conditions are also causing reservoirs to run empty. According to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, at the end of July, reservoirs were at their lowest levels in England and Wales since records began.

This could also impact farming, with dry soils yielding smaller harvests and a subsequent food shortage in England and its surrounding regions.

But England is not the only region facing drought conditions. Data from the European Drought Observatory in July shows that 47 per cent of the European Union (EU) countries are facing “drought warning conditions” and 17 per cent are at alert levels. While German state weather forecasters have warned high chances of forest fires, France is facing its third heat wave.

On Friday, Tory leader Rishi Sunak told Times Radio, “This drought is very serious…And it actually shines a light on what we need to do, which is make sure our water companies are fulfilling all their obligations to us in correcting leaks.”


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Source: The Print

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