In the shadow of another extreme heat wave in the UK: an official drought declaration is expected tomorrow

by time news

An extreme heat warning has come into force in the UK with temperatures expected to reach up to 37 degrees in some parts of the country over the next four days. Along with the heat warning, the highest level of alert for the danger of fires also came into effect this weekend, according to which there is an “exceptional” risk of fires spreading in many places.

Along with the extreme heat, the fear of drought is becoming more and more real. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Water UK’s Stuart Colville said it looked “increasingly inevitable” that the Environment Agency would declare a drought. According to water industry insiders, an official drought is expected to be declared tomorrow (Friday), a move that will give the Environment Agency greater control over water supplies. In doing so, Great Britain joins more than half of the European continent that is in drought due to a lack of precipitation in the last year.

Extreme heat wave in Europe (Reuters)

The temperatures in the current heat wave are not as high as the record-breaking temperatures seen in July, when for the first time in the history of Britain the temperature reached 40 degrees. However, the heat in some areas could approach local or regional highs, while temperatures could reach 35 and reach a high of 37 in some areas between the Midlands and London.

“Temperatures won’t be as hot. But the big difference with this current heatwave is that it’s much longer,” said BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor. “We have already seen temperatures above 30 degrees every day this week – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – and this will continue until Sunday.”

As mentioned, at the same time as the extreme heat, Great Britain and many parts of Europe are at risk of drought due to the lack of precipitation this year. In Britain, the period between January and June this year was the driest in 46 years. More than three inches of extra rain, beyond what would normally be expected, is needed to overcome the dry conditions in parts of southern England. However, no rain is expected in the near future.

As a result, the flow in the rivers decreases and the groundwater level drops, according to an analysis by the British Center for Ecology and Hydrology, which found that the trend is expected to continue for the next three months in southern England and Wales.

Water companies have been called to protect vital supplies ahead of the dry autumn, and three companies have already implemented pipeline bans. South East, South and Welsh Water customers cannot use the hoses to water lawns or plants, clean cars or fill pools, while a similar ban is expected in the Thames region “in the coming weeks”.

One of the companies, with 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley, even had to hand out bottled water to residents in the village of Northend in Oxfordshire yesterday, after the supply was disrupted due to a technical problem at a local reservoir.

Water companies have been criticized for imposing pipe bans, while around 3 billion liters of water are lost through leaks every day in England and Wales – the equivalent of 1,180 Olympic swimming pools.

Stuart Colville of Water UK said there were “hundreds of people out today and throughout the week” fixing leaks, adding that the leak was currently at its lowest level on record. According to him, it is a “constant battle” to repair leaks, especially in hot and dry conditions when soil dries out, moves and puts pressure on pipes “causing more bursts”.

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