Food shortages could hit supermarkets if no rain in next 10 days in dry areas, say farmers
With parts of England approaching drought, the next 10 days will determine whether supermarkets will be hit by food shortages later in the year, farmers say.
There has been no rain this month in southern and eastern England; this was the longest rainless period in 30 years.
Overall, Britain has received just 3 per cent of its long-term average July rainfall after the country was overwhelmed by three heatwaves so far.
Soils, rivers and streams dried out, and water use increased, especially in hot weather.
A prolonged drought (the phase immediately preceding drought) has been declared in East Anglia, West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, London, Wessex, Thames, Solent and the South Downs.
The National Drought Group, whose members include the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies and farmers, says extreme weather is having a serious impact on the environment, affecting water supplies and food production.
While farmers say that the heat dries the grains, they say that barley yields in the spring are expected to be negatively affected by the rain at the beginning of the season.
Some farmers in East Anglia have had to stop taking water because rivers are too dry.
Harvest started early and the risk of fire in combine harvesters increases due to the heat.
A spokesman for the National Farmers Union (NFU) said: Independent: “Some areas have not yet harvested, so what happens in the next week to 10 days may have an impact. We are asking the Environment Agency to be flexible on abstraction.”
NFU vice-president Paul Tompkins said: “Some parts of the country, particularly the east and south, have seen exceptionally low rainfall, creating real challenges for agricultural businesses. For many agro-based farmers this could be another difficult and expensive harvest following extreme weather in 2024 and 2025, which saw both drought and floods.”
The Met Office is predicting some rain for the weekend, but it will most likely be across northern parts of the UK.
Thames Water has joined many other water companies in enforcing the hose ban, which will come into force from Thursday.
This year, 53 bushfires have been recorded in Areas of Special Scientific Interest, including Dovestone and Tintwistle in the Peak District.
Experts say low water levels and a lack of rain to replenish spawning ponds are “significantly” damaging the reproduction of species such as toads, while migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon are unable to move upstream due to reduced river flows.
Sea waters around the UK have been hit by marine heatwaves as sea surface temperatures remain well above average.
Natural England’s Oliver Harmar said: “As well as the serious impacts on humans, our wonderful wildlife is also being harmed by the increasing impacts of climate change, with droughts and wildfires increasing the likelihood.”
The effects of prolonged dry weather are felt long after the weather cools, reducing populations of wetland birds and amphibians, he said.
Met Office chief meteorologist Will Lang said there were signs the weather would become more variable in early August, which could bring rain to some areas.
“However, confidence in the details remains low and any rainfall is unlikely to be widespread or significant, particularly in southern parts of the UK.
“Dry conditions are likely to continue to prevail in many areas over the coming weeks, particularly in southern England.”
