More than half of the UK is in a state

More than half of the UK is in a state of drought

The country experienced the driest first half since 1976 and is facing a new heat wave.

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Posted on 08/12/2022 2:13 PM Updated on 08/12/2022 3:15 PM

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If France is particularly affected by water shortages, it is not the only one. A state of drought was declared for more than half of the UK on Friday 12 August, according to the UK government.

Britain’s Environment Agency has put eight of the 14 zones dividing the country into a state of drought, mostly in the south and east. Two other areas could be affected by a drought later in August, according to the Guardian.

This is the second level on the alarm scale, which has four. This change allows for additional water restriction measures as several companies have already banned garden irrigation. “The groundwater supply is secured,” says a statement from the ministry and the environmental agency.

The UK is experiencing an unprecedented drought: July was the driest on record in some areas, and the first half of the year was the driest since 1976. The situation is such that the source of the Thames and the river that crosses London are dry are only beginning to flow about eight kilometers further downstream, unheard of.

The state of drought, declared for the first time since 2018, comes in the middle of a new heatwave in the UK. An orange “extreme heat” alert has been in place since Thursday, which will remain in place across most of southern England and parts of Wales until Friday, according to the UK forecaster Met Office. In July, the country triggered the first red alert for “extreme heat” in its history, with temperatures reaching 40°C.