Worrying piece in the Guardian – an ominous sign of things to come this summer? The upper River Derwent in Borrowdale in the Lake District – famous for its reputation as the wettest place in England – is almost completely dry, leading experts to warn of “disastrous conditions for wildlife”. This was the third year […]
Under our changing climate, the weather in Europe is getting more extreme. What could this summer bring in terms of heatwaves, droughts, floods, and forest fires? The overall outlook is pessimistic as we have already seen this past winter and spring. This makes adaptation to climate change and better preparedness crucial, according to a European […]
Interesting piece in the Guardian that argues we are using more water than we can sustainably supply, with a water crisis the inevitable result. The article encompasses scarcity, overabstraction, pollution, underinvestment, government and regulatory failings, environmental degradation and corporate misconduct – “all within the confines of one small country in the far west of Europe”. […]
SEPA has raised the risk of water scarcity around the Loch Maree area in the Highlands to Significant, the highest level available. Two areas are also now at moderate scarcity – the Ness area in the Highlands and the Esk area of Dumfriesshire. The risk of water scarcity in the Loch Maree area of the […]
Whilst spring rainfall has been a welcome relief for most of the country, experts caution that ongoing action will remain vital for securing our water supply into the future. At last week’s meeting of the National Drought Group (Wednesday 24 May), chaired by Environment Agency Chief Executive John Curtin, the group discussed how the government, […]
The Copernicus Climate Change Service has released its annual European State of the Climate (ESOTC) report, detailing the significant climate events of 2022 in Europe and across the globe. These data-driven insights show rising temperatures and intensifying extreme events, and give an overview of 2022’s climate in a long-term context. Separately, the World Meteorological Organization […]
South West Water has announced that its ongoing hosepipe ban now includes Cornwall and parts of Devon, and that restrictions could last until December. The company says that “our water resources across the region remain under pressure and as we go into the summer period we have taken the necessary action to safeguard supplies and […]
Leading environmental commentator rails against government inaction on metering and private abstractions, as well as Ofwat and water companies Never mind the H20: this scheme to move water from Severn to Thames could be the new HS2 England’s water woes have a solution. But trying to move vast volumes of water from west to east […]