i morning briefing: How drought is already bringing devastation
Five ways in which drought is affecting life : Crops and farming: In Spain and Italy, severe weather is hitting olive oil, with predictions that production could be reduced by 50-60 per cent. The important agricultural areas around the River Po in Italy are now under a state of emergency, and wine production looks likely to also be affected. Crops in the UK have also failed following the July heatwave, including spinach, peas and berries. France’s Loire valley, known as the ‘garden’ of France, has also dried up.
© Provided by Metro Eight other areas of England are already facing drought conditions (Picture: PA)
A drought has been declared in Yorkshire for the first time in four years.
The region joins eight areas of England that were moved into drought status on Friday.
The announcement was made today by the Environment Agency following a week where temperatures soared to above 30°C.
Yorkshire was one of the areas to be hit with temperatures of more than 40°C on the hottest UK day on record last month.
Victoria Slingsby, environment planning and engagement manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said today: ‘The high temperatures we are experiencing have exacerbated pressures on wildlife and our water environment in Yorkshire.
i morning briefing: A drought is expected to be declared, here’s what you should know
What will today’s announcement mean? We’ll examine that and why this is happening, and what it means for the future, after the headlines. Today’s news, and why it matters The Army failed to fully investigate claims teenage soldiers were spat at and ordered to eat manure, an internal report has revealed. A Royal Military Police inquiry into alleged abuse of teenagers at the Army Foundation College in Yorkshire was dogged by insufficient resources and the trial collapsed because of a lack of evidence.
‘These extreme weather conditions become more likely with climate change.
‘We are experiencing some much-needed rain this week, but it will not be enough to correct weeks of dry weather, and it will take more prolonged rainfall to wet up soils and replenish rivers, reservoirs and groundwater levels.
‘It’s important for everyone to manage the amount of water they are using in this exceptionally dry period.’
Yorkshire last experienced a drought in autumn 2018.
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Drought warning: How hot weather has FOOLED Britain - experts explain 'false autumn' .
DROUGHT has scarred the UK landscape, leaving vast tracts of countryside yellowed and barren during the last few days of summer 2022. While the sun still shines and mercury stays in the high 20C range, the country appears to have entered autumn much earlier than usual.Summer should last at least another week, as the UK won't officially enter meteorological autumn until September 1. But trees have started turning a rusty orange, and leaves are lining streets across the country, giving Britons the impression that the season has already arrived. Those sudden changes are deceptive, as scientists believe the unusual trend comes from environmental stress.