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Massive crop failures are expected in England
Elena Horton Experts have warned of widespread crop failures across England as charities and farmers criticized water companies for hesitating on tire bans despite drought being declared across much of the country. On Friday, the Environment Agency classified eight of England’s 14 regions as drought-stricken. However, water companies including Anglian Water, Southern Water and South West Water have not imposed bans on the pipes. Thames Water said it has no plans to rush the tube ban due next week. Leaked documents seen by the Guardian from a meeting of the National Drought Task Force show evidence of the state of farming in England. Half the potato crop is expected to fail as it cannot be irrigated, and even crops that are normally drought-tolerant, such as maize, have failed. The group was told that “irrigation options are diminishing with reservoirs rapidly emptying” and losses of 10-50% are expected for crops such as carrots, onions, sugar beets, apples and hops. Milk production is also falling nationally due to a lack of feed for cows, and wildfires are putting large tracts of farmland at risk. Farmers are deciding whether to drill crops for next year and there are concerns that many will decide not to, with dire consequences for the 2023 harvest. Cattle and other livestock are expected to be slaughtered early at lower weights because farmers are likely to run out of fodder for them in the winter. One of the driest areas is East Anglia, which is also home to much of England’s crop, including more than two-thirds of the sugar beet crop and a third of the potato crop. Drought in England: how the country has been affected – video
Which regions are officially experiencing drought?
The Environment Agency has gone into drought in eight of its 14 areas: Documents seen by the Guardian show the Environment Agency expects two more areas to go into drought later in August. These are Yorkshire and the West Midlands. The group met earlier this summer to discuss the lack of rainfall and decided to put the country in a “prolonged dry weather state”, the first of four stages of extreme dryness and a step before drought. Now, the country has toppled into this second stage. This means that water can be rationed across the country, with fewer obstacles for water companies wishing to ban customers from using hoses and washing the car with tap water. More stringent measures can also be taken at this stage, including a ban on the use of sprayers to clean buildings, vehicles and windows.
An extreme heat warning is in place for England and Wales
Good morning. Drought was officially declared across large parts of England yesterday and the Met Office’s ‘extreme heat’ warning remains in place for much of England and Wales. With temperatures expected to reach around 34C in some parts of the country, the Met Office is warning of increased fire risks as well as adverse health effects for both vulnerable people and the wider population. It adds that “some delays to road, rail and air travel are likely, with the potential for welfare problems for those facing prolonged delays.” While the orange heat warning remains in place until the end of Sunday, other parts of the UK could face severe storms and possible flooding when it ends. The Met Office said yellow storm warnings would start in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Sunday afternoon and spread to England and Wales on Monday. Forecasters said the storms were likely to be isolated and heavy, bringing 50mm of rain in some places and a chance of hail and frequent lightning. We’ll bring you the latest updates on this story throughout the day.
