As drought worsens, get ready for the heatwave!
AFTER months of low rainfall, the ground is parched and gardeners are struggling to tend to their thirsty young plants. Now to make matters worse, forecasters say bone- dry Britain is heading for a mini heatwave.
Temperatures are set to peak during the middle of next week as a blanket of warm air sweeps in.
And the dry weather is set to continue until at least the end of the month when conditions will become more unsettled.
A race meeting in Somerset tomorrow has become the latest casualty of the weather. The event at Wincanton is being called off because the rock-hard ground is a danger to both riders and animals.
The latest figures from the Environment Agency show that 34 out of 40 rivers are running drier than the longterm average following the driest winter in more than 20 years.
A report out yesterday predicts the trend will continue for the next three months.
The study, by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, said both river and groundwater sources are likely to be low.
Researcher Simon Parry said: ‘In the South East, groundwater levels in the chalk are below normal and the outlook is for a continuation of that.’ To deal with the problem, water companies are being encouraged to use supplies from areas with healthy water stocks and proposals are being examined by the Department for the Environment.
So-called water trading involves transferring supplies by extracting it from aquifers, using pipelines or aqueducts.
The Elan Valley already supplies Birmingham with water via a 73mile long aqueduct built in 1892, alongside back-up pipelines which are under construction. Farmers are also warning that their crops – particularly wheat, barley and beet – are being damaged by the dry conditions.
The Met Office yesterday said the country is in for several more weeks of overall dry weather.
A spokesman said: ‘As we go into the rest of the month there is an overall chance we are going to see some quite warm, dry weather.
‘We are going to see some of the drier weather continuing but towards the end of the month it will become unsettled.’ Forecast- ers at the Weather Channel said much of the country will enjoy temperatures well above average for the time of year, with the mercury rising towards the mid-20s celsius on Wednesday next week.
The warmest spots are expected to be in the South East.
However, there could be a temporary respite this weekend with the welcome arrival of showers, it was predicted.
Rainfall could arrive on Friday and continue into Saturday. Yesterday bosses at Wincanton racecourse said tomorrow’s meeting had been cancelled because the course does not have enough water in reserve to dampen the turf to make it safe for the horses and jockeys.
One official said the ground was so dry it had cracked.
Dramatic photos show how rivers across the north of England remain barren and stony. Last month Cumbria had just 36 per cent of its average rainfall.