Winter hosepipe bans on the cards as England faces drought
The Environment Agency has warned that the ban on hosepipes across England may continue during the winter months.
This comes as the Met Office predicts there will be a higher chance of drought from November to January.
Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Although it is not possible to predict the weather with certainty for the next three months, the chances of a dry spell are higher than usual.”
This means Britain will experience even worse drought next year. It causes significant pressure on the environment and risks to crop yields.
Despite recent rains, the drought situation across the country remains unstable; Because this spring has been the driest in the last 132 years and this summer has been the hottest since records began in 1884, with four heat waves.
In August the National Drought Group declared a “nationally significant water deficit” in England.
Droughts only end when water levels are fully filled, and eight out of ten months in the UK so far this year have seen below-average rainfall. Drought also brings the risk of flash floods, where dry lands struggle to absorb heavy downpours.
Eight million people are still under a cyclone ban in Yorkshire, the Thames Valley, Sussex and Kent.
Environment Agency Water Director Helen Wakeham said: “If we don’t get consistent rainfall over the winter there will be drought next year.
“The severity of the drought will depend on both the weather and the actions we take over the winter following this very dry year.
“Publics have been wonderful this summer in using a little less water and adhering to restrictions in some parts of the country. I encourage people to continue to use water as efficiently as possible this winter, even if it’s raining outside. Our wildlife, our rivers and our public water supplies depend on it.”
In the period ending November 4, the total reservoir stock across England was 65.8 percent. The average for this time of year is 77.4 percent.
The Canal & River Trust closed 20 per cent of its network over the summer due to lack of water. Farmers’ harvests have been affected and there are concerns about feed availability for livestock heading into winter due to poor grass growth in spring and summer.
Dry weather affected the reproductive success of wetland birds, great crested newts, toads, and the migration patterns of eels and salmon. This also caused trees, including old trees, to become severely stressed.
Water minister Emma Hardy said prolonged dry weather “continues to pose risks to public water supplies, agriculture and the environment”.
He added: “We continue to work with the National Drought Group and water companies to deliver supplies to communities across the country.
“Climate change means we face more frequent, severe droughts and floods in the coming years. That’s why this government is taking decisive action to secure our long-term water resilience, including building nine new reservoirs and investing in new pipes to reduce leakage.”
