England faces worst drought in decades as companies prepare to take drastic measures
Britain is facing its worst drought in years, with the government and water companies preparing to take drastic measures to deal with the problem.
Managers of a large water company said: Guard Water shortages, made more likely by the Met Office’s long-term forecasts of below-average rainfall, will mean extreme water use restriction measures that “go beyond hose bans”.
Despite average rainfall in September and October, months of dry weather have depleted the country’s existing water reserves.
Last month, National Drought Group warns The country needs to be prepared for ongoing drought unless there is “significant rainfall”.
The average reservoir storage rate currently stands at 63.3 percent nationwide, compared to the 76 percent usual for this time of year. In some areas, such as Ardingly in West Sussex and Clatworthy and Wimbleball in Somerset, the rate is below 30 per cent.
South East Water was forced to apply for a local water restriction order that would ban some businesses from using water for activities such as cleaning buildings and equipment or filling hotel pools.
The UK lacks water resilience and is dependent on constant rainfall, but climate change and increasing demand for water, including for food production and data centres, have put pressure on resources.
The drought is expected to continue next year; This means the UK is at risk of water shortages if there is below average rainfall in spring and summer.
“We now need exceptional rainfall all winter long to recover,” says Prof Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading. said Guard.
“Despite recent improvements in some areas, many drought orders and tornado bans are still in effect. This shows how serious the water supply shortage really is. Some reservoirs are filled at less than a third of their capacity, which is concerning at this point in the year.”
“Given that climate change will keep Britain dryer for longer into the future, we need to adapt to the climate we have now. Building new reservoirs will help, but we also need much more demand management and a more ambitious plan for water resilience.”
Water minister Emma Hardy said: “We are closely monitoring all regions, particularly those still experiencing drought, and are working with the National Drought Group and water companies to maintain supplies. We face increasing pressure on our water resources, which is why this government is taking decisive action, including the development of nine new reservoirs, to help ensure long-term water resilience.”
“This year has been characterized by a significant lack of rainfall across much of the UK,” said Dr Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office.
“Provisional data as of 28 October shows the UK receiving only 61 per cent of its expected annual rainfall, whereas we would normally receive around 80 per cent of rainfall at this time of year (based on the 1991-2020 average).
“Looking ahead, the risk of drought increases throughout late autumn and early winter, and regional differences in precipitation remain likely. Without sustained and widespread precipitation, a consistent recovery from drought remains uncertain.”
Britain has not built new major reservoirs for more than three decades, but experts say the looming crisis requires more than long-term measures and calls for immediate changes, including nature-based solutions, more efficient water use by consumers and effective water resilience planning.
Regions across the UK will be affected differently, with the government announcing today that two regions – Cumbria and Lancashire and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire – have moved from drought to drought-free. But he added that their situation was “fragile”.
