Britain’s Met Office said this July was England’s driest since 1935 with average rainfall at 23.1 millimeters (0.9 inches), just 35 percent of the month’s average. Some parts of the country experienced the driest July ever. The River Thames stretches 215 miles (356 km) across southern England, from Gloucestershire in the west through the heart of London, before entering the sea at Essex in the east. The natural spring that feeds the river, known as the spring, dries up most summers. But this year the dry riverbed is significantly lower than in previous years, according to conservation experts. “The Thames would normally be at its source – and there’s a nice pub next to it – it would be about 15 kilometers back upstream,” Alisdair Naull, engagement officer at the Rivers Trust, told Reuters as he stood in a small section of the Thames. in Cricklade, about 80 km west of London. “It’s very, very shallow here… but you don’t have to go much further up this little stretch of the Thames to be on dry ground. And really, this is the soil that should still be wet and should always be wet.” Naull said the shallow, warmer water contained less oxygen, which fish and other wildlife needed to thrive. The Thames Head Inn is located upstream, a stone’s throw from a stone marking the source of the river in Gloucestershire. Its manager, 31-year-old David McMeeking, said he was concerned about the effects of climate change on the pub’s namesake. “It’s still the official source of the Thames, so the stone will always be there, but whether the water comes through or not is another matter,” said McMeeking, pouring a pint behind the bar. Unprecedented heat and a lack of rainfall prompted two water companies in the south of the country to announce temporary bans on the use of pipes and sprinkler systems. Thames Water, which supplies 15 million customers across London and south-east England, said it plans to introduce similar curbs. A four-day “extreme heat” warning came into effect for parts of England and Wales on Thursday. The Met Office issued its first such warning last month when temperatures topped 40C (104F) for the first time. Climate expert and hydrologist at the University of Reading Hannah Cloke said low rainfall has left river levels and aquifers low, while water has been withdrawn from waterways for crop irrigation, drinking water replenishment and use in the industry. “If we don’t get rain in August, in fact, if we have a dry winter, then we could have serious problems in the spring and next summer when we really don’t have any water stores,” Klock said. He said restrictions on individual pipes were useful in helping to change attitudes to water use, but investment in infrastructure and policy to prevent further climate change was even more important. The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
