Islington homes evacuated after burst water main floods roads
The provider said addresses in some areas had no water supply on Monday morning, while others were experiencing low pressure.It also warned that local traffic in the area would be affected and apologised for any delays to people's journeys.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
UK weather: Water shortfall declared 'nationally significant' - as amber heat health alert set to strike
The water shortfall situation in England has been described as a "nationally significant incident", with five areas officially in drought ahead of an amber heat health alert coming into force for large parts of the country. Six further areas are experiencing prolonged dry weather following the driest six months to July since 1976. Many river flows and water reservoir levels in England continue to recede compared to June despite some storms and showers in July, which helped mask that it was still the fifth-warmest July on record. Drier conditions have returned in August and now parts of the country are bracing for the fourth heatwave 2025, with today's amber alert covering the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East. Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30C (86F) in some areas, possibly even soaring past 35C (95F) in the south, threatening this year's heat record of 35.8C (95.4F) in Faversham, Kent, on 1 July. A milder yellow heat health alert is in place for the South West, North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber. The alerts by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are due to be in place from 9am today until 6pm tomorrow, and put more pressure on struggling public water supplies and navigational waterways. 'We are calling on everyone to play their part' The National Drought Group (NDG), which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, the National Farmers' Union, Canal & River Trust, anglers, and conservation experts, met at the start of the week to highlight the water-saving measures each sector is taking. The group praised the public for reducing their daily usage, after Yorkshire Water reported a 10% reduction in domestic demand following the introduction of their hosepipe ban, which saved up to 80 million litres per day. "The situation is nationally significant, and we are calling on everyone to play their part and help reduce the pressure on our water environment," said Helen Wakeham, NDG chair and director of water at the Environment Agency. "Water companies must continue to quickly fix leaks and lead the way in saving water. "We know the challenges farmers are facing and will continue to work with them, other land users, and businesses to ensure everyone acts sustainably." Current drought situation in England - Drought has been declared in: Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire, East Midlands, West Midlands. - Areas in prolonged dry weather (the phase before drought) are: Northeast, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Thames, Wessex, Solent and South Downs. - Yorkshire Water has a hosepipe ban in place for all its customers, while Thames, South East, and Southern Water have postcode-specific bans. - Reservoirs fell by 2% last week and are now 67.7% full on average across England. The average for the first week of August is 80.5%. - The lowest reservoirs are Blithfield (49.1%), Derwent Valley (47.2%), Chew Valley Lake (48.3%), Blagdon (46.3%). - Rainfall in July was 89% of the long-term average for the month across England. This is the sixth consecutive month of below-average rainfall. - Across the country, 51% of river flows were normal, with the rest below normal, notably low or exceptionally low. - Two rivers – Wye and Ely Ouse – were the lowest on record for July. - There are currently navigation closures or restrictions across sections of the Leeds and Liverpool, Macclesfield, Trent and Mersey, Peak Forest, Rochdale, Oxford and Grand Union Canal. The rainfall at the end of July was welcomed by growers, even though the dry weather is set to have an impact on the harvest, with the National Farmers Union (NFU) noting how water shortages have impacted the growing season. "Some farms are reporting a significant drop in yields, which is financially devastating for the farm business and could have impacts for the UK's overall harvest," NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said. Ms Hallos urged that investment in water infrastructure and a more effective planning system was urgently needed "to avoid the swing between extreme drought and flooding and to secure water supplies for food production". 2:11 The dry weather also impacts the health of the waterways, as low water levels reduce oxygen levels in the water, which can lead to fish deaths, more algae growth, and could prevent wildlife from moving up or downstream. Water minister Emma Hardy said the government is "urgently stepping up its response" to respond to dry weather, including investment in new reservoirs, but called on firms to do their bit. "Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans," she said. "I will hold them to account if they delay." "We face a growing water shortage in the next decade," the minister warned, which she said is why building new reservoirs - something the government has criticised the previous administration for not doing - is so important. near Wimborne in Dorset and at over the weekend.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
UK weather: Hot weather to peak amid water shortage fears
Heat health alerts are coming into effect for the whole of England later, with amber warnings for most southern and central areas - meaning there could be travel disruption or increased demand on health a warm night, temperatures are set to rise across the UK on Tuesday when the heat will peak for of England and Wales will see 25-28C, reaching 34C in some areas, meaning heatwave thresholds are likely to be met in a number of regions this the national drought group - which includes the Met Office, regulators, the government, and water companies - has warned that England is now suffering from "nationally significant" water shortfalls. The group said England is experiencing widespread environmental and agricultural effects from the shortage of water, which is hitting crop yields, reducing feed for livestock, damaging river wildlife and wetlands, as well as increasing wildfires. As high pressure has pushed eastwards, the UK has been drawing in some very warm air on a southerly to south easterly wind from the European continent, where temperatures have been particularly Monday, Bergerac and Bordeaux in France set all-time records at 41.4C and 41.6C. There are red warnings for the heat in France and in Spain. How do heat health alerts work?What should you look for when choosing sunscreen?What are UV levels and how can you protect yourself? The amber heat health alert – issued by the UK Health Security Agency – begins across the Midlands, East Anglia, London and South East England at 09:00 and continues until 18:00 on East England, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber and south-west England have a yellow alert for the same period. Yellow alerts warn of possible impacts on health and social across Scotland and Northern Ireland could reach 23-26C, maybe 27C in eastern Scotland and the of England and Wales could see 25-28C, but the low 30s are again likely for central and southern England, and south-east Wales. Anywhere from the south-west Midlands to west London could see would still not make it the warmest day of the year so far, although the year's top temperature in Wales may be threatened. Highest temperatures of 2025England - 35.8C Faversham, 1JulyWales - 33.1C Cardiff Bute Park, 12 JulyScotland - 32.2C Aviemore, 12 JulyNorthern Ireland - 30C Magilligan, 12 July Some could see a fourth heatwave of the summer this week, the official criteria for which is when locations reach a particular threshold temperature for at least three consecutive days. That varies from 25C across the north and west of the UK, to 28C in parts of eastern will stay warm for a third day for most areas on Wednesday, though temperatures could dip a little in the west. There will be more cloud and it will feel more humid. There will be a slight shift in wind direction to more of a south-westerly meaning the highest temperatures could be across parts of East Anglia, again in the low heat will ease for most on Thursday with some thunderstorms and some cooler, less humid air into Friday. However, as high pressure builds in once more it is likely temperatures will rise again into the weekend to the mid-to-high 20s, with 30C possible in southern England and south Wales. This year saw the warmest and sunniest spring on record across the UK. June and July saw the second and fifth highest average temperatures for those months have been 13 days so far this year that have seen temperatures of 30C or more in the UK this year. That number will rise further this week, but is still low compared with the 19 days above 30C in 2022 and 34 days in for August has been very variable. Despite it only being 11 days into the month, some parts of northern Scotland are not far from recording their average August rainfall already, while some parts of southern England, such as Heathrow and Kew Gardens, have yet to record any measurable rain.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Water shortfall in England now ‘nationally significant', drought officials warn
England is now suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortfalls despite rain in July, officials warned as the country faces more hot, dry conditions. The national drought group, which includes the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies and other organisations, has met as five areas of the country remain in drought, with six more in prolonged dry weather status. England is seeing widespread environmental and agricultural impacts from the lack of water, which is hitting crop yields, reducing feed for livestock, damaging wetlands and river wildlife, and increasing wildfires, the group said. Experts warn climate change is driving more extreme weather conditions in the UK, worsening drought and dry spells, and making heatwaves more frequent and severe. Despite unsettled weather in July with many places seeing heavy rain or showers, it was still the fifth warmest on record. Many river flows and reservoir levels continued to recede compared to June – and are now well below where they should be for the time of year. Dry weather has returned in August, with the fourth heatwave of the summer set to see temperatures climb into the 30s once more – putting extra pressure on overstretched water supplies. Reservoir levels fell 2% last week and are now 67.7% full on average across England, compared to the 80.5% normally seen for the first week of August and down on the 75.6% average last month, the Environment Agency said. The lowest reservoirs are Blithfield, Staffordshire, Derwent Valley group of reservoirs in Derbyshire, and Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon Lake in Somerset, all of which are less than half full. Nearly half of England's rivers (49%) had below normal, notable or exceptionally low flows in July, with two – the Wye and Ely Ouse – at their lowest on record. There are currently navigation closures or restrictions across sections of the Leeds and Liverpool, Macclesfield, Trent and Mersey, Peak Forest, Rochdale, Oxford and Grand Union Canal. Despite wet conditions for many in July, rainfall was 89% of the long-term average for the month across England, making it the sixth consecutive month of below-average rainfall, the Environment Agency (EA) said. Figures from the EA also show central England has had the driest February to July since 1921. There appears to be no or little let-up in the dry conditions for some areas in the coming days, according to the Met Office. Dr Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'This week is starting off warmer than of late across England and Wales, with temperatures getting towards the mid-30s Celsius for some in the south. 'While conditions remain mostly settled across the south, the picture is more unsettled further north-west, with rain or showers at times. 'As we move into the second half of August there are indications of high pressure building and therefore largely settled conditions overall. 'Although dry weather is more likely, rain, showers or thunderstorms cannot be ruled out.' Officials have praised the public for following hosepipe bans, which are in place for all Yorkshire Water customers, and parts of the regions served by Thames Water, South East Water and Southern Water. People are being urged to take simple actions such as turning off taps and deleting old emails – which reduces demand for water to cool data centres – to help reduce the impact on the environment. Yorkshire Water has reported a 10% reduction in domestic demand following their hosepipe ban – a saving of up to 80 million litres a day or 32 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The EA's director of water and national drought group chairwoman Helen Wakeham said: 'The current situation is nationally significant and we are calling on everyone to play their part and help reduce the pressure on our water environment. 'Water companies must continue to quickly fix leaks and lead the way in saving water. 'We know the challenges farmers are facing and will continue to work with them, other land users and businesses to ensure everyone acts sustainably. 'We are grateful to the public for following the restrictions, where in place, to conserve water in these dry conditions. 'Simple, everyday choices – such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails – also really helps the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife.' National Farmers' Union vice-president Rachel Hallos said farmers and growers continued to face extremely dry conditions. 'Some farms are reporting significant drop in yields which is financially devastating for the farm business and could have impacts for the UK's overall harvest,' she said. 'Farming is a long-term industry and there is growing concern about the months ahead. 'Minimal grass growth means many livestock farmers are already tapping into winter feed stocks, raising the risk of higher production costs later in the year.' She called for investment in water infrastructure and a more effective planning system. Experts warn periods of dry weather and low rivers – some of which are used to provide drinking water for people in the regions through which they flow – reduce oxygen levels in water that can lead to fish kills, algal blooms and prevent wildlife moving up and down the river. Drying out wetlands hits species that rely on the habitat while an increase of wildfires are hitting heathland and moorland. A major incident declared at a wildfire at Holt Heath, Dorset – along with the blaze on Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh – prompted the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to issue a warning that fire services do not have the resources to keep the public safe. With rising temperatures this week, fire and rescue services are likely to face an increase in incidents, but funding cuts have left them without enough crews and resources, the FBU said, pointing to the Holt Heath fire which drew in firefighters from five neighbouring services. FBU general secretary Steve Wright said wildfires were 'intensive and dangerous incidents' which required large numbers of firefighters and specialist equipment. 'These incidents are on the rise as a result of the climate emergency and, as the last 24 hours have shown, they are happening in areas across the UK,' he said, warning budget cuts meant services did not have the resources to cope. He added: 'To protect the public, the Government must provide the investment needed to address this crisis and rebuild resilience.'
