Will it be our worst drought since 1976?
‘Not a second to waste’
Hosepipe ban fears as rivers and reservoirs dry up because of heatwave and lack of rain
ENGLAND will have its worst drought since 1976 if the hot weather carries on into August, officials warned last night.
The relentless heat and lack of rainfall have emptied reservoirs and pushed most of the country into ‘prolonged dry weather’ status – the first of four drought categories.
Thames Water, which serves 15million customers, warned last night it could be forced to bring in restrictions.
An emergency meeting of the National Drought Group will discuss a plan of action tomorrow – with the spectre of a nationwide hosepipe ban looming ever larger.
One firm has warned that if the situation deteriorates it might be forced to seek an emergency order that could result in the closure of schools.
Coningsby in Lincolnshire last week recorded the UK’s record temperature of 40.3C while 33 other locations went past the preflows vious high of 38.7C set in 2019. In 1976, the highest temperature was 35.9C.
A Met Office official speaking on condition of anonymity said yesterday: ‘In terms of climate and rainfall, you can definitely compare it to 1976.’
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said rivers including the Taw in Devon and the Ouse in Yorkshire were lower than ‘the drought of 1976, which is often held up as a yardstick’.
It added: ‘Exceptionally low
are widespread across the country, and in many rivers are either approaching, or below, the flows at the equivalent time of year during past droughts.’
Thames Water said last night it
had experienced its highest demand in 25 years and might have to resort to restrictions.
‘We know the water we have stored in our reservoirs will continue to reduce,’ a spokesman
said. ‘ So if we do not receive around or above average rainfall in the coming months this will increase pressure on our resources and may indeed result in the need for more water-saving measures including restrictions.’
Around 660million gallons of water are lost to leaks every day prompting critics to call for firms to patch up their pipes.
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, said: ‘ Britain is facing the worst drought since 1976 and ministers are nowhere to be found.
‘The Government should haul the water companies into Downing Street and demand they fix all leaking pipes as soon as possible. There isn’t a second to waste.’
A spokesman for the industry group Water UK said firms were seeing extremely high demand.