Drought Warning for the UK
Posted on: July 27, 2022 • Posted in: News
Posted on: July 27, 2022 • Posted in: News
Water companies and the Environment Agency met yesterday to prepare for drought that could hit most of England as the Met Office confirmed England’s driest eight month period since 1976.
Officials at the Environment Agency (EA) are transferring water to low running rivers, rescuing fish and reoxygenating water, while water companies are implementing the early stages of their drought plans.
What does this mean for you?
The National Drought Group of farmers, water companies, and land users met this morning and have urged people to conserve water, including by swapping baths for showers, re-using water used to rinse vegetables and keeping cold water in the fridge to avoid running the tap.
2/3 of the tap water we use comes from either resevoirs, rivers and lakes (surface water), and the remaining third from aquifers. Surface water levels are prone to evaporation and levels of precipitation, which has meant that there has been a recent drop in surface water levels. This may lead to water companies imposing a “hosepipe ban” on English households, as they are put in place when there is potential for a water shortage. If a ban is put in place, and you are caught using a hosepipe to water your garden, you could be fined up to £1,000.
Food is already relatively expensive and a drought could worsen this, and potentially for longer than just the summer. Farmers are already starting to harvest their crops, so the impacts of the dry conditions will be known soon.
The lack of rain has already hampered grass growth, which is used for livestock feed in the winter.
Matt Culley, Chair of NFU Crops Board, stated; “It’s incredibly dry. We are seeing non-existent grass growth now, so the livestock farmers around me/near me are having to use winter rations.”
If farmers cannot harvest their own hay to feed their livestock during the winter months, they have to outsource it, which will increase their costs, which could in turn be passed on to the customer.
What can you do?
The UK is getting hotter as human activity amplifies the changing climate. Climate models show that drought is expected to become more severe, intense, and frequent over the course of this century.
In order to protect your garden or farm from the upcoming drought and to avoid your plants suffering heat stress, we recommend that you browse the link below and contact us for more information.
