Provence or Tuscany? No, it’s Yorkshire yesterday in all its summer glory
UNDER a perfect blue sky, a field of lavender blooms fragrantly in the midst of rolling green countryside.
It’s a sight that looks as good as it smells and it wouldn’t be out of place in a holiday guide for Provence in the south of France or Tuscany in Italy.
In fact, it’s a lavender farm near Terrington, North Yorkshire, where the evergreen shrub is thriving in the heatwave that enters its 16th day today.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year in England so far as temperatures reached 90F (32C) in Gosport, Hampshire.
This was just shy of this year’s UK high of 91F (33C) set in Porthmadog, Wales, on June 28.
But with parts of the country facing a hosepipe ban and forecasters warning that the hot spell is set to last the rest of the month, there are fears that we could be in for a repeat of the summer of 1976.
That year temperatures soared to 90F or higher over 15 consecutive days from June 23 to July 7, causing the biggest drought in living memory.
Although 2018 has yet to surpass the heat of that year, this June was sunnier and drier than the same month in 1976 and no significant rainfall has been forecast to top up our diminishing water levels.
The Wayoh Reservoir in Lancashire has completely dried up, as has the Great Langdale Beck in the Lake District.
Experts say the country is unlikely to go into drought because we had a rainy spring, in contrast to 1976, when it was unusually dry for more than 12 months before the heatwave. But demands on the nation’s water supplies are much greater than four decades ago, serving a population of 65million today compared with 46million.
Water firms are urging customers to use as little as possible. United Utilities, which serves seven million in the North West, has said it will impose a hosepipe ban in the next few days if demand does not fall.
Thames Water, the country’s biggest water company, texted customers at the weekend asking them not to use hosepipes, saying: ‘Water supply risk in your area.’ Meanwhile, in Buckinghamshire tankers have been topping up Ashendon reservoir with 430,000 litres of water every day to boost levels.
But Water UK, which represents suppliers, said ‘there is enough water to go around’ and there is no prospect of hosepipe bans in regions other than the North West.
Temperatures are forecast to dip slightly from today, but remain above average for the time of year.
The Met Office said: ‘This week will remain mostly sunny and dry [but] there could be some showers. The rest of July will be warm and pleasant.’