News Drought declared in half of England: "Need weeks of rain"

The pictures show: This is how the super drought has turned the country brown

 

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Adam Westin Published: Very recently 

 

NEWS 

 

The country characterized by rain is drier in almost 50 years. 

 

Drought prevails in eight out of 14 regions, which affects both showering habits and electricity supply. 

 

"Everything works worse when it's hot," says energy consultant Kathryn Porter to the BBC. 

 

Satellite images of England show that half the country is "brown-feared", notes The Sun in British tabloid fashion. 

 

The period between January and July has been the driest since 1976, according to the Met Office. A new heat record was set two weeks ago in Lincolnshire, with 40.3 degrees. 

 

The heat continues to keep England in a firm grip. During Friday, temperatures close to 35 degrees were measured in many places, including in the London area. A four-day heatwave warning has been issued until Sunday.

 

 

Satellite images show how half the country has turned brown from the drought. Photo: COPERNICUS 

 

"Need weeks of rain" 

 

Drought has been declared in eight of the country's 14 regions. Northern and western Britain are the most spared parts, with the exception of the Devon and Cornwall region in the far south-west. 

 

A water company is urging people not to shower for more than four minutes and "only flush the toilet when you have to," reports The Times. Refraining from washing the car and ensuring that there are no water leaks are two other measures mentioned. 

 

The last time a drought was declared in England was in 2018. This is a sign that this is "not a normal summer", says John Curtin at the country's environmental authority. 

 

Rain is expected next week, but that won't solve the problem, according to Curtin. 

 

- Please don't think the drought will go away because of that, we would need weeks of rain and we probably need average rainfall, or more, this autumn and winter to avoid drought next year, says John Curtin of the authority to BBC Radio 4. 

 

The water levels in many of the country's most important reservoirs are "exceptionally low". The total amount of water is at 65 percent of normal capacity, writes The Times. 

 

At the same time, George Eustice at the environmental authority states that the water supply is still strong and that there is no cause for concern, according to the BBC.

 

 

 

London's financial district is looming behind a dry field. Photo: Alberto Pezzali / AP 

 

Even solar energy is affected for the worse 

 

In the wake of the drought, the BBC addresses energy problems arising from the heat wave in the UK and Europe. 

 

Hydropower has dropped by 20 percent due to dry waterways and depleted reservoirs. And nuclear power, which needs water for cooling, has been put on restrictions. 

 

Somewhat unexpectedly, even solar panels perform worse in a heat wave. 

 

- Solar panels experience a significant loss at temperatures above 25 degrees. Everything just works worse when it's hot, says Kathryn Porter, energy consultant at Watt-Logic to the BBC.