London —
England is notoriously rainy — yet an “exceptionally serious” drought has hit half the nation after successive heat waves have parched the land, shrivelled rivers and put huge pressure on water supplies.
A large stretch of central, eastern and southern England are enduring a “flash drought” brought on by a mix of high temperatures and low rainfall, the Environment Agency announced Wednesday.
In addition to rolling heat waves, the country has been grappling with a dearth of rain — just 7% of the average for this time of year, falling to 1% in some parts of the south. And there is no substantial rain forecast.
“The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it,” said Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency. It’s “an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife, and the economy,” she added.
