It follows the commencement of a four-day amber heat warning, below-normal canal levels, and England’s driest July since 1935, during which the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius for the first time.
A source from the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs said that droughts could be declared in “quite a few places” of the country today.
The news contradicts earlier claims that drought will only be proclaimed in the South-Western United States.
A source stated that the drought proclamation is not likely to encompass the entire nation.
Local water providers have their drought policies and will implement them if necessary, which might include hosepipe bans similar to those proposed by Southern Water and South East Water.
It will result in a series of restrictions on the domestic and commercial use of water by impacted residents.
After the start of a four-day amber extreme heat warning, below-normal canal levels, and England’s driest July since 1935, during which the temperature rose beyond 40 degrees Celsius for the first time, a large portion of the country is currently experiencing extreme heat and minimal rainfall.
There is no universal definition of drought; therefore, while it is caused by a period of low precipitation, each drought is unique in its nature, timing, and implications, depending on geography and the sectors affected, such as public water supply, agriculture, the environment, and industry.
The National Drought Group (NDG) of the Environment Agency examines data such as rainfall, the amount of water remaining in rivers, reservoirs, and lakes, and temperature forecasts for the future weeks to determine whether drought conditions have been reached.
There are no precise goals that must be met; the NDG simply determines whether all these criteria constitute a drought and provides an estimate of its severity and duration.
The Environment Agency then evaluates whether drought or severe drought should be signaled.
There are four drought stages:
• Prolonged dry weather phase (yellow) – effects include an increased danger of environmental harm, such as a threat to wildlife and plants
• Drought stage (amber) – stress on public and private water supply sources, decreased agricultural and horticulture crop yields, localized wildfires, and long-term repercussions on habitat and wildlife
• Extreme drought stage (red) – extensive long-term environmental damage, widespread wildfires, failure of crops or plants and lack of food and drinking water for livestock, failure of public and private water supplies
• Stage of drought recovery (amber), which depends on the type and severity of the previous drought
The two most recent droughts were proclaimed in 2011 and 2018, with the latter being more severe.
The first heatwave of the year and the driest July on record in several regions of England have already elevated the country’s drought level to the “prolonged dry weather stage.”
This means there is a short-term threat to wildlife, plants, and crops, and water providers are implementing drought strategies.
At the most severe stage, private and public water sources would be threatened and limitations would be implemented.
Where are hosepipe prohibitions in effect?
Southern Water has banned the use of hosepipes in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and South East Water customers in Kent and Sussex are subject to temporary water use restrictions.
Later this month, Welsh Water will apply similar regulations for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, as stated earlier this month.
On August 26, Yorkshire Water customers will no longer be permitted to use a hose to water their lawns, clean their vehicles, fill their swimming pools, or clean their homes.
However, they will still be permitted to complete these activities using tap water from a bucket or watering can, as well as non-tap water.
And Thames Water has signaled that it will implement a hosepipe ban in the coming weeks as the summer’s heat and drought continue to take their toll.
Nearly half of EU land is subject to a drought watch.
Almost the entirety of the United Kingdom got below-average rainfall in July, except for the extreme north of Scotland.
The newest weather forecast for the United Kingdom predicts hotter-than-average conditions and a heatwave with temperatures reaching the mid-30s in certain regions this week, prompting health advisories.
Not only the United Kingdom is affected.
There are concerns that forecasts of continued dry weather for many European nations for the remainder of this month and the following will exacerbate the situation and hurt agriculture, energy, and water supply.
Approximately half of the land area of the European Union is currently under a drought warning or the most severe “alert” category.
Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and other human activity, is increasing the likelihood of droughts, according to scientists.
