The UK faces the possibility of a drought breaking out in August, experts said, warning of possible crop losses after a period of drought. remarkably dry weather and extreme heat.
Home hose bans could be implemented across the UK and farmers could be restricted from watering their crops if the government implements a drought plan.
On Tuesday, the National Drought The group, made up of government departments and affected groups, will meet to discuss a strategy to deal with the very dry conditions facing England. Other UK countries are also discussing responses to possible drought.
The meeting was supposed to take place in October to plan for 2023, but conditions have become so dry that it has been brought forward.
Last weeks record heat wave it baked the soil, prompting farmers to increase irrigation of crops and increase the rate of evaporation from waterways.
Farmers could be banned from irrigating their crops in the crucial period of August and September, with tubers such as potatoes being particularly threatened. Crops could fail for lack of water, and dry soil can make harvesting difficult.
Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union, said, “We don’t have time to waste. The situation with water is very, very serious for the producers: there are implications for the costs and the viability of the crops.”
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Growers could face huge costs if their crop yields drop due to dry conditions, and many have already signed contracts with supermarkets and other suppliers, meaning they may have to bear these costs alone.
The batsmen said: “Who is going to pay these additional costs? Everyone in the supply chain, the retailers, must ensure that they foot the bill for rising costs. The producers have already signed their contracts with the supermarkets. You need others in the chain to come in and take these additional costs into account.”
Experts from the Met Office and Environmental Agency are preparing for further heatwaves this summer as the weather continues to be very hot in Europe, and this may spill over to the UK.
In Scotland, there has been a water scarcity risk alert following hot, dry weather and restrictions on withdrawals are being considered to mitigate the risk. There is no Scottish agency representation on the National Drought Panel and any decision to ban hoses would be made locally.
On the continent, droughts have already been announced, with Italy declaring a water security emergency and Spain and Portugal under pressure.
“This really highlights the futility of relying on imports alone; other European countries are in much worse situations than we are,” Batters said. “We have taken our water supply in this country for granted for so long. We are not storing or moving water as we should. Water safety and food security are inextricably linked and food safety is incredibly important. We can’t imagine that growers don’t have a viable crop.”
The two most recent droughts in the UK were declared in 2018 and 2011, but extremely dry conditions and hot weather mean the government is bracing for a worse outcome this year.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “We have had prolonged dry weather this year which has led to exceptionally low river flows across much of England and falling reservoir levels across Yorkshire, central and south-west England. Recent high temperatures will increase the likelihood of local impacts and put pressure on the aquatic environment and wildlife.
“Environment Agency teams are monitoring river levels and responding to environmental incidents, and we are working with water companies to manage water resources and take precautionary measures to ensure that the needs of rivers are met. water users and the environment. Water companies are also enacting their drought plans as a routine precaution to maintain the water supply. “
Professor Chris Binnie, a hydraulic engineer who was previously president of the Chartered Institution for Water and Environmental Management, said these droughts could happen more frequently due to climate change.
He explained: “In England, climate change is likely to result in drier summers and wetter winters. However, with rising temperatures, dry summer spells are likely to last longer and thus increase the risk of droughts, especially in critical reservoirs of a summer season.
“Some water companies have reservoirs that are lower than normal. Some may ask for non-essential use bans. With higher temperatures there is more evapotranspiration from soil and vegetation. This means that the next time it rains, more rain will be required to bring the soil water content up to field capacity. This will delay the onset of rising river flows in the fall and, in particular, delay the recharge of underground aquifers that provide water supply to some areas of the country.”