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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected
MILLIONS of Brits could face water restrictions after a drought was declared in part of the country with the dry conditions seeing a 'lost village' re-emerge. The Environment Agency has imposed a drought status on the north-west of England after it has experienced the driest start to spring for 69 years. Advertisement 6 The remains of Mardale Green have re-emerged due to dry conditions in the North West of England Credit: SWNS 6 Beachgoers line-up in the sunshine at Polzeath, Cornwall, for an ice cream. While the UK has seen hot and sunny weather across the country the North West has been the worst affected Credit: Alamy 6 An old road and walls and buildings that were once part of Mardale village have been revealed by drought Credit: Getty Groundwater levels and river flows have been declining caused by the dry conditions in March, April and early May. Storage levels in reservoirs in the region have also been receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years. There are currently no hose pipe bans in force in any part of the UK but earlier this month the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies. Water companies are responsible for imposing any water restrictions, such as a hose pipe ban, which can restrict water usage. Advertisement Read More on UK News Companies can enforce a Temporary Use Ban using the guidelines set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. These bans can restrict or prohibit activities like watering gardens and washing cars. A water authority can bring in a ban if it believes it is experiencing, or may experience, a serious shortage of water for distribution across a certain area. However, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 does not define what is meant by a "serious shortage". Advertisement Most read in The Sun Latest The agency has put a drought plan in place to deal with the dry weather, and to regulate United Utilities in order to "make the best use of available water whilst also protecting the environment". A spokesperson for United Utilities, which supplies water to millions of people in the North West, said demand had reduced due to the water-saving measures done by its customers, along with the recent rainfall and milder temperatures. Mysterious 300-year-old sunken town remerges in dried up lake as ruins of church and houses remerge from the mud The arid conditions have seen what remains of the 'lost village' of Mardale Green in the Lake District re-emerge. Those who lived there were forced to leave when the village was flooded on September 15, 1935, but due to the dry conditions, the remnants of the place can now be seen after the water level receded. Advertisement The The recent In light of the drought status, the regulator has increased their operational response and ensured water companies step up their actions as laid out in their drought plans. This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits to take more water, as needed. Advertisement If these measures are taken in a timely manner it is expected to help preserve supplies for homes and the environment. While the North West has seen a dry start to the year, it is a mixed picture for other parts of the England . A meeting of the National Drought Group, comprising the Environment Agency and Defra ministers, is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country. Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Advertisement 'As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. 'This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades. 'Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period. 'With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our Drought Plan.' Advertisement Defra has also announced today that the Environment Secretary was stepping in to speed up delivery for the first two major reservoirs since the 1990s as part of the government's action to secure the water supply. Mardale Green and the neighbouring village of Measand were submerged in order to create one of the UK's largest reservoirs, which is known as Haweswater Reservoir. The aim was for it to supply Manchester with water for 100 years. It's creation meant hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes. Advertisement What is a drought? There is no one single definition of a drought which is used by Defra although the most obvious is that it is a period of low rainfall. However, the nature, timing and the impact it has on people, the environment, agriculture or business can vary. Some droughts can be short and intense, triggered by a hot and dry summer. Others can be much longer, taking time to develop over a number of seasons, caused by low amounts of rainfall. The main types of drought, according to Defra, which may occur separately or together are: Agricultural drought – when there isn't enough rainfall and moisture in soils to support crop production or farming practices such as spray irrigation. Environmental drought – when lack of rainfall has a detrimental impact on the environment and ecology. Water supply drought – when a lack of rainfall leads to concerns from water companies about supplies for their customers. The Environment Agency will monitor a number of indicators – including rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir storage, ecology, public water supplies - and will decide the level of drought an area is in. Defra uses four stages to describe and manage any response: Prolonged dry weather – this period is characterised as the early stages of drought where we find there has been a period of dry weather and this is impacting on river flows, groundwater levels and water levels in lakes and reservoirs. Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. Advertisement The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. It was popular with the locals as it was used by famers and hunters in the area to host fairs, dances, feasts as well as sales. Not everyone was happy with the village being destroyed as renowned fell walker Alfred Wainwright protested the move, having visited Mardale Green in 1930. Advertisement He described the destruction of the village as 'the rape of Mardale'. The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022. 6 Mardale was flooded in 1935 to make way for the creation of the Haweswater Reservoir Credit: SWNS 6 The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022 Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 West Bay, Dorset, just two days ago. A meeting of the National Drought Group is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country Credit: Alamy
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected
The village in the Lake District was submerged in 1935 to create a reservoir HIGH & DRY Drought is declared in UK as 'lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected MILLIONS of Brits could face water restrictions after a drought was declared in part of the country with the dry conditions seeing a 'lost village' re-emerge. The Environment Agency has imposed a drought status on the north-west of England after it has experienced the driest start to spring for 69 years. 6 The remains of Mardale Green have re-emerged due to dry conditions in the North West of England Credit: SWNS 6 Beachgoers line-up in the sunshine at Polzeath, Cornwall, for an ice cream. While the UK has seen hot and sunny weather across the country the North West has been the worst affected Credit: Alamy 6 An old road and walls and buildings that were once part of Mardale village have been revealed by drought Credit: Getty Groundwater levels and river flows have been declining caused by the dry conditions in March, April and early May. Storage levels in reservoirs in the region have also been receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years. There are currently no hose pipe bans in force in any part of the UK but earlier this month the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies. Water companies are responsible for imposing any water restrictions, such as a hose pipe ban, which can restrict water usage. Companies can enforce a Temporary Use Ban using the guidelines set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. These bans can restrict or prohibit activities like watering gardens and washing cars. A water authority can bring in a ban if it believes it is experiencing, or may experience, a serious shortage of water for distribution across a certain area. However, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 does not define what is meant by a "serious shortage". The agency has put a drought plan in place to deal with the dry weather, and to regulate United Utilities in order to "make the best use of available water whilst also protecting the environment". A spokesperson for United Utilities, which supplies water to millions of people in the North West, said demand had reduced due to the water-saving measures done by its customers, along with the recent rainfall and milder temperatures. Mysterious 300-year-old sunken town remerges in dried up lake as ruins of church and houses remerge from the mud The arid conditions have seen what remains of the 'lost village' of Mardale Green in the Lake District re-emerge. Those who lived there were forced to leave when the village was flooded on September 15, 1935, but due to the dry conditions, the remnants of the place can now be seen after the water level receded. The rain that has fallen in recent days is not enough to reverse the dry start to the year and the further expected hot conditions in the coming weeks is likely to just exacerbate the situation, the Environment Agency says. The recent bank holiday weekend was a washout for most Brits as the weather took a marked downturn. In light of the drought status, the regulator has increased their operational response and ensured water companies step up their actions as laid out in their drought plans. This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits to take more water, as needed. If these measures are taken in a timely manner it is expected to help preserve supplies for homes and the environment. While the North West has seen a dry start to the year, it is a mixed picture for other parts of the England. A meeting of the National Drought Group, comprising the Environment Agency and Defra ministers, is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country. Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. 'As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. 'This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades. 'Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period. 'With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our Drought Plan.' Defra has also announced today that the Environment Secretary was stepping in to speed up delivery for the first two major reservoirs since the 1990s as part of the government's action to secure the water supply. Mardale Green and the neighbouring village of Measand were submerged in order to create one of the UK's largest reservoirs, which is known as Haweswater Reservoir. The aim was for it to supply Manchester with water for 100 years. It's creation meant hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes. What is a drought? There is no one single definition of a drought which is used by Defra although the most obvious is that it is a period of low rainfall. However, the nature, timing and the impact it has on people, the environment, agriculture or business can vary. Some droughts can be short and intense, triggered by a hot and dry summer. Others can be much longer, taking time to develop over a number of seasons, caused by low amounts of rainfall. The main types of drought, according to Defra, which may occur separately or together are: Agricultural drought – when there isn't enough rainfall and moisture in soils to support crop production or farming practices such as spray irrigation. Environmental drought – when lack of rainfall has a detrimental impact on the environment and ecology. Water supply drought – when a lack of rainfall leads to concerns from water companies about supplies for their customers. The Environment Agency will monitor a number of indicators – including rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir storage, ecology, public water supplies - and will decide the level of drought an area is in. Defra uses four stages to describe and manage any response: Prolonged dry weather – this period is characterised as the early stages of drought where we find there has been a period of dry weather and this is impacting on river flows, groundwater levels and water levels in lakes and reservoirs. Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. It was popular with the locals as it was used by famers and hunters in the area to host fairs, dances, feasts as well as sales. Not everyone was happy with the village being destroyed as renowned fell walker Alfred Wainwright protested the move, having visited Mardale Green in 1930. He described the destruction of the village as 'the rape of Mardale'. The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022. 6 Mardale was flooded in 1935 to make way for the creation of the Haweswater Reservoir Credit: SWNS 6 The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022 Credit: Getty
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Drought is declared in UK as ‘lost village' re-emerges with millions facing restrictions… check if your area is affected
MILLIONS of Brits could face water restrictions after a drought was declared in part of the country with the dry conditions seeing a 'lost village' re-emerge. The Environment Agency has imposed a drought status on the north-west of England after it has experienced the driest start to spring for 69 years. 6 6 6 Groundwater levels and river flows have been declining caused by the dry conditions in March, April and early May. Storage levels in reservoirs in the region have also been receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years. There are currently no hose pipe bans in force in any part of the UK but earlier this month the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies. Water companies are responsible for imposing any water restrictions, such as a hose pipe ban, which can restrict water usage. Companies can enforce a Temporary Use Ban using the guidelines set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. These bans can restrict or prohibit activities like watering gardens and washing cars. A water authority can bring in a ban if it believes it is experiencing, or may experience, a serious shortage of water for distribution across a certain area. However, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 does not define what is meant by a "serious shortage". The agency has put a drought plan in place to deal with the dry weather, and to regulate United Utilities in order to "make the best use of available water whilst also protecting the environment". A spokesperson for United Utilities, which supplies water to millions of people in the North West, said demand had reduced due to the water-saving measures done by its customers, along with the recent rainfall and milder temperatures. The arid conditions have seen what remains of the 'lost village' of Mardale Green in the Lake District re-emerge. Those who lived there were forced to leave when the village was flooded on September 15, 1935, but due to the dry conditions, the remnants of the place can now be seen after the water level receded. The rain that has fallen in recent days is not enough to reverse the dry start to the year and the further expected hot conditions in the coming weeks is likely to just exacerbate the situation, the Environment Agency says. The recent bank holiday weekend was a washout for most Brits as the weather took a marked downturn. In light of the drought status, the regulator has increased their operational response and ensured water companies step up their actions as laid out in their drought plans. This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits to take more water, as needed. If these measures are taken in a timely manner it is expected to help preserve supplies for homes and the environment. While the North West has seen a dry start to the year, it is a mixed picture for other parts of the England. A meeting of the National Drought Group, comprising the Environment Agency and Defra ministers, is due to be held on June 5 to assess the situation across the country. Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. 'As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. 'This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades. 'Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period. 'With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our Drought Plan.' Defra has also announced today that the Environment Secretary was stepping in to speed up delivery for the first two major reservoirs since the 1990s as part of the government's action to secure the water supply. Mardale Green and the neighbouring village of Measand were submerged in order to create one of the UK's largest reservoirs, which is known as Haweswater Reservoir. The aim was for it to supply Manchester with water for 100 years. It's creation meant hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes. What is a drought? There is no one single definition of a drought which is used by Defra although the most obvious is that it is a period of low rainfall. However, the nature, timing and the impact it has on people, the environment, agriculture or business can vary. Some droughts can be short and intense, triggered by a hot and dry summer. Others can be much longer, taking time to develop over a number of seasons, caused by low amounts of rainfall. The main types of drought, according to Defra, which may occur separately or together are: Agricultural drought – when there isn't enough rainfall and moisture in soils to support crop production or farming practices such as spray irrigation. Environmental drought – when lack of rainfall has a detrimental impact on the environment and ecology. Water supply drought – when a lack of rainfall leads to concerns from water companies about supplies for their customers. The Environment Agency will monitor a number of indicators – including rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir storage, ecology, public water supplies - and will decide the level of drought an area is in. Defra uses four stages to describe and manage any response: Prolonged dry weather – this period is characterised as the early stages of drought where we find there has been a period of dry weather and this is impacting on river flows, groundwater levels and water levels in lakes and reservoirs. Drought Severe drought Recovering from drought. It also meant 97 bodies had to be dug up and reburied in a graveyard in the nearby Shap. Mardale Church, which had seating for 50 people, held its last service in August 1935, with the Bishop of Carlisle leading the proceedings. The service was packed out and hundreds of others were forced to wait outside. Parts of the church can still be seen today when the water level drops. The local pub, the Dun Bull Inn, along with houses and farms were demolished to make way for the reservoir. The inn made a name for itself due to its hot buttered rum. It was popular with the locals as it was used by famers and hunters in the area to host fairs, dances, feasts as well as sales. Not everyone was happy with the village being destroyed as renowned fell walker Alfred Wainwright protested the move, having visited Mardale Green in 1930. He described the destruction of the village as 'the rape of Mardale'. The last time people were able to walk through what is left of the village was in July 2022. 6 6 6
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Dry weather: Why drought is hitting parts of the North
Parts of the UK have seen the driest start to a year in close to a Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said north-east and north-west England had not experienced as dry a period between January and April since parts of the UK have also faced particularly dry springs, but the North also saw below average rainfall in winter, according to Lucy Barker at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)."This has resulted in exceptionally low river flows and reservoir levels," she nationwide it is believed this spring could be one of the driest on record. Due to the drop in water supply, the Environment Agency officially declared a drought across the North West on 21 means United Utilities, the water firm which supplies millions in the region, will have to forecast potential timescales for introducing hosepipe firm previously told the BBC it was bringing extra water into the system. Dr Gemma Coxon at the University of Bristol said the North West was particularly susceptible to water supply issues during periods of low is because it has fewer groundwater aquifers than other parts of the country such as the South East, she act like "big sponges" which sit under the soil and soak up rainfall then slowly release it, she fewer of these, river levels in the North West can drop more quickly during dry rain has boosted river flows and soil moisture in the region, Ms Barker confirmed, but this had still not made up for the "long term dry period". No such drought has been declared in the North Hayley Fowler at Newcastle University said the "robust" water supply provided by Kielder Reservoir in Northumberland meant it would take much longer for the region's water supply to be affected by dry Coxon said climate models predicted drier summers and wetter winters on average in the UK, but how the weather may look in future springs and autumns was much more "mixed"."We're currently in a dry spring but next year it could be much wetter," she despite a wealth of weather data, the effect of human activity can also be difficult to ascertain or predict."It is challenging to disentangle exactly how much drier this spring has been due to climate change," Dr Coxon said. 'Water gauge stolen' Rain data has been collected in the UK for centuries, all the way back to 1767 in Met Office has rainfall figures for the entire country going back to 1836, with recent efforts being made to transcribe historical handwritten statistics. As part of that project, scientists listed some very specific additional comments left behind by data collectors of the day. This included one person in Middleton-in-Teesdale who wrote in November 1876: "No readings as gauge stolen."Another individual in Sunderland wrote in 1869: "Rev Iliff had his right arm broken in June so was prevented from taking his observations regularly and a few weeks afterwards a road was made through his garden and his instrument meddled with." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Drought declared in the UK after driest spring for nearly 100 years as water levels in rivers and reservoirs run low
The north west of England is now in drought due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers following one of the driest springs on record. The Environment Agency (EA) said Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, and Cumbria and Lancashire have moved from 'prolonged dry weather' to 'drought' status. Despite recent rain, water levels in the region remain low, the public body said, although no other areas of the country are in drought. A spokesman said: 'The north west of England has entered drought status due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. 'No other areas in England are in drought and we continue to monitor the situation closely.' The agency also said hosepipe bans were a matter for water companies but they were expected to follow their drought plans, taking appropriate steps to reduce demand and leakage, to ensure more water is left in the environment for farmers and wildlife. The EA said it continued to regulate the region's water company, United Utilities, to operate within their agreed action plan to make use of available water while protecting the environment. Officials warned that periods of dry weather could have consequences for wildlife, including killing fish, more algal blooms and low rivers preventing species from moving up or downstream, as well as limiting water resources for those who need them. A United Utilities spokesman said: 'We are grateful for the support of customers as we've seen demand reduce thanks to their efforts in saving water where they can, combined with more recent rainfall and cooler temperatures. 'Reservoirs, however, are still lower than we'd expect at this time of year and so we're continuing to move water around our integrated network to get it to where it is needed, as well as bringing extra water into the system from other sources around the region. 'Leakage is at its lowest level and we're repairing record volumes, with customers supporting us by reporting more leaks and we'd ask that they continue to do that as well as doing all they can to save and recycle water, to help protect their local environment.' Experts warned that the North West had seen an exceptionally dry spring, and that drought conditions would become more intense in the UK with climate change – putting strain on water resources. Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said the North West had seen the driest spring in nearly 100 years, which had led to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. 'The north west of the country is reliant on reservoirs to source around two-thirds of its water supply. 'The 2025 drought is serious – reservoir levels are well below what they should be at this time of year. 'Water is becoming a scarce resource and the UK supply is under significant stress.' The news the North West had moved into drought status comes as the Government announced plans to fast-track the approval of major new reservoirs, warning drinking water supplies would run out in the next decade without action to boost water infrastructure. Officials blamed rapid population growth, crumbling assets and a warming climate for pressure on water supplies, and admitted new reservoirs would not come online for a decade or more. Professor Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at the Newcastle University, said the dry and drought conditions the UK was experiencing were consistent with what was expected from climate models, especially in the summer months. 'With global warming we expect more prolonged and intense droughts and heatwaves punctuated by more intense rainfall, possibly causing flash floods. 'In recent years, we have experienced more of these atmospheric blocks, causing record heat and persistent drought,' she said.
