The British government declares a drought and recommends saving water

Historic drought puts agricultural production at risk in Washington, England France Press agency

Posted on 08/12/2022 12:49

LONDON – On Friday, the twelfth of this month, the British government declared a drought in most parts of England. The country joins the list of countries in Europe and North Africa that have been hit by a heat wave that threatens water supplies. The drought warning, first announced since 2018, comes amid high temperatures in the UK.

The government action forces water companies to make contingency plans to deal with shortages, banning irrigation, car washes and filling private swimming pools. The UK had the driest July on record for certain regions, and the driest first half since 1976.

The source of the Thames, the river that runs through London, has dried up, beginning its course only about five miles below it. An orange ‘severe heat’ warning has been issued since Thursday for much of southern England and parts of Wales and is expected to last until Friday, according to the National Weather Service. But the record temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius is unlikely to be exceeded on July 20.

“We are more prepared than ever for hot weather, but we will continue to monitor the situation closely, including the impact on farmers and the environment, and take additional action if necessary,” Water Minister Steve Doble said.

In the gardens of London and in many parts of the country, the green grass turned into yellow straw with a dusty ground. In other European countries, the heat wave has caused forest fires to multiply.

Scientists guarantee that these heat waves will be multiplied and prolonged due to global warming. Several fires are still active on Friday in French territory, including the seashore in the southwest, in the mountainous centre.

Nearly 1,100 French firefighters deployed on Thursday were assisted by 361 soldiers from neighboring European countries such as Germany, Poland, Austria and Romania, as well as a number of EU tankers.

In Gironde (southwest), 7,400 hectares of flames have burned since Tuesday, and 10,000 people have been evacuated, some for the second time so far this summer. The battle was not won.

“Today could be a tough day as temperatures continue to rise,” said Ronan Lustick, deputy mayor of Arcachon, a tourist resort located 50 kilometers from Bordeaux.

In total, more than 40 thousand hectares were burned this year in France, according to the authorities, while satellite measurements indicate 50 thousand hectares.

In Portugal, about 1,500 firefighters have been trying to fight an active fire for about a week, which destroyed about 10,000 hectares in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park (center). The fires, which destroyed “unique” forest areas, caused “irreparable damage”, lamented the president of the Environmental Protection Association, Francisco Ferreira, on the public channel RTP.

This summer, France and Portugal were both affected by a historic drought that forced them to restrict water use. July was the hottest month in Portugal in nearly a century, and precipitation in France was 84% lower than normal during 1991-2020.

And drought hits hard areas on the southern side of the Mediterranean, such as Morocco. Ouled Issa Messaoud, a once fertile city between Casablanca and Marrakesh, is now seriously affected by the water stress that threatens the entire country.