HOT STREAK MAY LAST TILL AUTUMN
As the drought continues, some of the UK’s most remote areas are struggling to cope
BRITAIN could bake in the heatwave until the end of October, according to the latest long-range forecasts.
People hoping for some respite from the high temperatures look set to be disappointed – with experts predicting warm weather well into autumn.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “As we go into August, September and October the odds look like it will be warmer than normal.”
The forecast comes as the mercury is set to rocket past 85F (30C) this week, the Met Office predicted.
Temperatures could peak tomorrow with highs of almost 90F possible in parts of the South-east and East Anglia.
However the intense heat is likely to lessen on Wednesday.
Temperatures will need to climb significantly if they are to come close to England’s current August record 101.3F reached in Faversham, Kent, in 2003.
The mercury is set to plummet back to average conditions for August by mid-week as the sizzling conditions come to a temporary halt. But forecasters said the second half of August could see high pressure building again leading to more sweltering heat.
Mr Snell said: “Monday and Tuesday could see temperatures of 33C before things become a good deal fresher on Wednesday. The mercury will only reach the low 20Cs in the South from mid-week which is where things should be at this time of year. But summer is not yet over and from mid-August onwards we could see high pressure building again.”
He said the jet stream was moving south towards the UK, bringing in fresher Atlantic air, and added: “The good news is it will be much easier to sleep at night.”
Showers
Some showers are forecast across the North and West of the UK but nothing significant for the South-east, he added.
The high temperatures saw thousands of sun-worshippers hit the beaches yesterday. Up to 500,000 people took advantage of the fine weather and descended on the beach in Brighton for the popular Pride event which was headlined by Britney Spears. Britons soaking up the weekend rays were urged to stay “sun sensible” amid the high ultraviolet levels.
People heading to the beaches on England’s south coast felt the brunt of the heat on Saturday while a peak temperature of 86F was reached at London’s Kew Gardens yesterday. Bookmaker Coral makes it odds on, at 1-5, that this year goes on to be the hottest summer on record.
Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead said: “This summer will go down as one of the most memorable in years but as the thermometers shoot upwards again it also looks inevitable it will end up in the record books as the hottest ever,.
“We are edging towards the mid thirties and with three weeks or so left of August we can’t rule out the hottest ever temperature being reached.”
THEY might be surrounded by water but the heatwave has left the coastline dotted with our very own desert islands. From Arran in the North to The Scillies in the South we discover how months of low rainfall and scorching sun have thrown offshore communities into crisis.
ARRAN (53% of normal June rainfall)
Emergency water tankers from the mainland have been arranged to carry 750,000 litres (165,000 gallons) to the parched isle off Scotland’s west coast. The summer influx of tourists, which swells Arran’s 5,000-strong population, is adding to the crisis. Residents and visitors have been urged to forego baths to save precious supplies on the mountainous island, normally one of the UK’s wettest places. In a typical year some places on the island get almost 2,000mm (79in) of rainfall – more than three times the amount in London.
ISLE OF MAN (21% of normal June rainfall)
Plunging reservoir levels on the normally verdant Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea, have forced authorities to impose the first hosepipe ban in 15 years. The drastic measure of reactivating old reservoirs is also being considered as current ones are less than 50 per cent full and rivers are running dry. The island has endured its driest and hottest May, June and July since 1989, while summer sunshine levels are 100 hours above average. At Baldwin reservoir the remains of a submerged village have become visible for the first time in decades. Farmers on the island, which has a population of 84,000, are warning some yields will be 20 per cent down this harvest.
ISLES OF SCILLY (23% of normal June rainfall)
Islanders have been told to cut water consumption significantly “before it is too late”. The five inhabited islands, off Cornwall, don’t have their own reservoir. Conditions have caused crops to fail and growers to switch to drought-resistant alternatives, including succulents which are normally found in desert regions. The Scillies, with a population of about 2,000, already rely on a desalination plant on St Mary’s but it provides nowhere near enough fresh water. And with machinery working flat out it’s feared a breakdown could prove disastrous. Authorities are also worried that wells and boreholes could suffer lasting damage by flooding with seawater if levels drop too low. One councillor is warning that the Scillies face a water shortage crisis that could last a generation. Plans have been drawn up to ship emergency supplies from the mainland.
LUNDY (49% of normal July rainfall)
The tiny island in the Bristol Channel is suffering worst of all UK islands. It now has no drinking water supplies and is relying on plastic bottles from the mainland. But The Landmark Trust, which runs Lundy as a tourist destination with 30 permanent residents, 120 guests in holiday cottages, plus up to 250 more daily visitors, says the emergency measure is unsustainable. A larger reservoir is planned on the three-mile long island to avert future crises and with water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink a desalination plant is also in the pipeline. Lundy has a small water supply from boreholes but it’s not safe to drink.
JERSEY (50% of normal July rainfall)
The largest Channel island went for 23 successive days last month without rain, meaning that it entered a state of “absolute drought”. Arable growers have been irrigating fields daily as they try to save crops, while dairy farmers are having to feed cows with food stored for the winter because pasture has turned brown. Residents on the tax haven, which has a 100,000 population, have been asked to cut back on water. Past shortages resulted in extra reservoirs being built, bringing the total on Jersey to six and there are enough supplies to last at least two months.
ISLE OF WIGHT (2% of normal June rainfall)
Desert-like conditions have resulted in reserves of underground water reaching drought level. Southern Water has laid two huge pipes under the Solent to pump an extra 12 million litres (2.6 million gallons) from mainland Hampshire to replenish the popular holiday isle. The company is also considering building desalination plants. It’s the second time this year that the Isle of Wight, with a population of 141,000, has faced shortages: a freeze in March led to homes running dry and water being ferried in.
ANGLESEY (20% of normal June rainfall)
North Wales’ largest island, with a population of 70,000, has not escaped the heatwave. Reservoirs and back-ups on the mainland are low and Welsh Water is spending £1.5million a week on 35 tankers to move supplies to worst-hit areas. In Anglesey’s Newborough Forest, which has been hit by wildfires, rangers are running nightly patrols to keep an eye out for signs of flames and warn campers about the dangers of barbecues. In early July a blaze on Holyhead mountain, which spread through grassland, was tackled by 60 firemen at its peak.