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Large areas of the UK have officially entered a drought, as searing summer temperatures grip the European continent. We are currently seeing the introduction of hosepipe bans – a memory from my childhood, though rarely seen in the last two decades.
The conditions have left many farmers, gardeners and fire authorities praying for rain, with some publicly looking forward to the heavy showers forecast next week.
But we should be careful what we wish for.
Coupled with dry, baked soils which are particularly vulnerable to creating fast runoff, the heavy, localised downpours that accompany thunderstorms can cause flash flooding.
Drought is caused by persistent drier-than-average conditions. The whole year to date has been dry across southern Britain. In Reading, we have recorded just two-thirds of the expected rainfall to this point of the year. If you based your calendar on average rainfall alone, you would still only be in mid-May.
This has only worsened through the summer months. Parts of the UK experienced its driest July on record. The University of Reading’s Atmospheric Observatory recorded just 3.1 mm of rain throughout July in the region, while no rain has fallen in August so far.
Other parts of England have seen even drier conditions. Rain has not fallen in Odiham, Hampshire, since June.
But while this is unusual, dry weather is becoming increasingly common in the UK. Last year’s relatively dry autumn and winter are testament to this. A single rain-free month does not make a drought.
Read more: https://theconversation.com/drought-heavy-rain-now-might-be-a-serious-problem-for-the-uks-parched-landscape-188666