The Guardian – England one dry spell away from return to severe drought, say experts
“The extraordinary temperatures we experienced in July – exceeding 40 degrees – topped the previous record by almost a degree and a half. And while many parts of the country have experienced huge amounts of rainfall recently, impacting farming operations over autumn and winter, some counties remain in official drought status.”
The dried-out bed of Baitings Reservoir in West Yorkshire last August. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
This article in The Guardian warns about England’s drought conditions from the past summer and how easy it is to slip back into that state. In 2022, England and much of mainland Europe saw drought conditions that harshly impacted the growing season. July 2022 was actually the driest July on record for the UK since the 1930s. While some regions of the UK have recovered from drought conditions, other areas as still struggling with the lingering impacts of this historic drought. If England were to have another hot and dry period, these conditions would be quick to return.
“As ever, it is important that we all continue to use water carefully to protect not just our water resources but our precious environment and the wildlife that depends on it.”
To highlight the devastating effects of the drought residents only needed to visit their local grocery, as the drought had affecting food supplies as well. Grocery stores had to limit how much produce each person could purchase. The drought also impacted electricity generation, as England’s hydropower reservoirs experienced a drop in water level. Additionally, hosepipes were prohibited as well as swimming pools, washing cars, and so on. This year, February has been dryer than usual, with 63% of England’s rivers being below normal levels. This could lead to serious issues with food security and crop growth, and some reservoirs are still at a lower level than expected
Although the Canada1Water project will not cover England, the dangers of drought are universal. The continental-scale model of Canada will investigate climate change impacts on surface water and groundwater sustainability. One of the goals of the project is to provide open-access data to help water resource managers to make informed decisions and successfully adapt Canadian society to the dangers of climate change on our water resources.