Latest news with #drought
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Hosepipe ban remains despite heavy rainfall
A hosepipe ban will remain in force across Yorkshire despite recent heavy rainfall, the region's water company has ban, which stops people using hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, washing the car or filling a paddling pool, was brought in amid an extended spell of very hot, dry weather across Kaye, from Yorkshire Water, said although rain at the weekend was "very welcome" it was "not going to improve things to a level where reservoir stocks recover".Previously, the company's chief executive said restrictions, which apply to customers across much of Yorkshire, parts of North Lincolnshire and parts of Derbyshire, were expected to remain until winter. When the hosepipe ban was announced earlier this month, Yorkshire Water said reservoir levels stood at just over 50% - a record low for the time of the year and "significantly below" the average for early July, which is nearer 80%.Mr Kaye said some parts of the region experienced more than 20mm of rain (0.8in) over Saturday and Sunday, which had helped slow the weekly decline of reservoirs. However, he added: "We've had five months of below long-term average rainfall in Yorkshire, so one weekend is not going to improve things to a level where reservoir stocks recover, as we continue to supply more than 1.2bn litres of water to customers every day."Crucially the rain has also replenished rivers and groundwater, meaning we can increase our abstraction from rivers and groundwater to reduce pressure on reservoirs.""Despite the rain over the weekend and early part of this week, the hosepipe restrictions remain in place in our region."
The National
4 hours ago
- Climate
- The National
Lack of rain in the Middle East and North Africa
In March, during what is typically the rainy season in the UAE, the country's rainfall levels were far from those experienced in 2024 and now, in the middle of the dry season, they remain the same. However, the rainy season is not the same for all countries in the Middle East and North Africa, so is the region experiencing the same lack of rain? The answer is yes and this chart of the week shows it. By June, historically, the region should have accumulated about 119 millimetres of rain and the amount so far this year is 90mm, 24 per cent less than expected. This situation is mirrored in more than half the region, with countries and territories such as Djibouti, Gaza, the UAE, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank, Syria and Oman recording 30 per cent less cumulative rainfall than their respective historical average. Consequences of rain shortage Exceptional climate shifts have consequences for the environment and people. Dry soil and hotter air increase the likelihood of wildfires, as seen in recent months in Syria and Turkey. Drought removes moisture from grasses, shrubs and even trees, turning them into "fuel". With humidity low and vegetation brittle, a spark can ignite easily and wind can fan the flames across the landscape because there's little green to slow the spread. Additionally, prolonged heat causes the soil to compact and develop a hydrophobic crust. When heavy rain eventually arrives, that crust repels the water instead of absorbing it, so the run-off surges downhill and produces sudden flash floods, even though the ground was starved of moisture moments before. It's only half of 2025 and the rainy season is over in some countries, however, unusual rainfall patterns are one of the consequences of climate change, making it important to stay alert.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Hosepipe bans: How are they enforced?
Millions of people in England are facing temporary hosepipe bans this summer, following the country's driest start to the year since bans - also known as Temporary Use Bans - are introduced by water companies during periods of high demand or low supply. Four companies have so far issued bans - Southern Water, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and South East breaking the rules could be fined up to £1,000 - but how are the rules enforced? Caroline Loup, a garden landscaper who lives in Overton, Hampshire, where Southern Water's hosepipe ban has just begun, said people should be encouraged "to be nosy neighbours" to make sure the rules were being followed - but she wouldn't report someone."This ban isn't going to work unless everybody does their part," she said. "I'd probably go up to them and say, 'Have you heard about the ban?' I'd rather be up front than snoop on a neighbour."Ms Loup said action had to be taken by the water companies, including fining people who had broken the rules to deter others. "There needs to be some teeth behind the action." On the Isle of Wight, also supplied by Southern Water, gardener Tim Parry said he had received calls from "very emotional" clients who were worried about their gardens and the "intimidating" prospect of a said one client of his, a 90-year-old lady, asked him: "Do I have to walk a watering can up my garden? I don't think I can do that.""They don't want their neighbour looking out a window and thinking, 'She's out there with a hose'."He said he would be helping customers follow the rules because "our gardens aren't as important as the environment". Fines are a 'last resort' The BBC asked the four water companies whether they had ever issued fines for Yorkshire Water directly answered this, saying it had never issued a single fine and would prefer not to do so, instead asking customers to "respect" the company said it had received at least 100 reports of people who had continued to use hosepipes since the ban came into effect for more than five million households on 11 July. "If we are told repeatedly about someone breaking the restrictions, the first thing we do is remind them of their obligations - that is usually enough," a spokesperson said."However, if they continue to use a hosepipe, we may escalate our enforcement accordingly."The other three suppliers did not say if they had ever issued fines, but they all said enforcement would be the very final Water will first write to a customer who has been reported for using their hosepipe to remind them of the ban. The company said it might take enforcement action for "repeated or serious breaches". On its website, South East Water says prosecution is "very much a last resort" and "something no company wants to have to do".Police have told people not to contact them to report breaches of the ban, and instead to report them to their water company directly. But Thames Water has said customers do not need to report breaches at all, adding that it "may get in touch with customers who repeatedly don't follow the rules... just to make sure they're aware of the restrictions and how to use water responsibly".Trade body Water UK said it was not aware of anyone having ever been fined for using a hosepipe, though it did not hold data. But some people are exempt from the ban - those who are registered disabled, blue badge holders, and those who have paid a business to sow a lawn in the last 28 Meredith is a blue badge holder who lives in Oxford, where Thames Water's ban has now has mobility issues that restrict him from using a watering can - which is allowed during the ban - rather than a hosepipe to water his said the onus should not be on blue badge holders to make sure neighbours are aware they are allowed to continue using hosepipes if they decide to."I would not be uncomfortable using a hosepipe during a hosepipe ban," he said, adding that it would depend on what the weather was like or whether someone was around to help. Are warnings enough? Yorkshire Water said since the ban came into effect its customers' water usage dropped by about 26m gallons (100m litres) in just two days - without issuing a single fine and despite more than 100 reports of people flouting the rules. Dr Sianne Gordon-Wilson, who is currently looking into which factors can convince people to save water, said "peer influence" was the biggest driver."It's all about the friends and the social network," the assistant professor in marketing at Queen Mary University of London told the BBC."If they're saying it's something that you can do, it's not too much work, or it can be quite easy... then that is the most influential factor." Nicci Russell, chief executive of water-conservation charity Waterwise, said more had to be done to make the public aware of water scarcity. "We are running out of water right across the UK," she said. "There is nothing you can think of from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to bed that doesn't need water."She added that while her organisation did not advise people to report their neighbours, hosepipe bans did encourage the public to think about how they could save water. Additional reporting by Alys Davies and Michael Sheils McNamee
France 24
6 hours ago
- Climate
- France 24
Heatwave hits water, electricity supplies across much of Iran
Extreme temperatures, which began on Friday, are expected to ease gradually by Thursday, according to meteorological authorities cited by state television. Government offices in at least 15 of Iran's 31 provinces, including the capital Tehran, have been ordered to close on Wednesday in a bid to conserve water and electricity. The measure come as temperatures in parts of southern and southwestern Iran topped 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would extend office closures "if it deems necessary", while warning of the "critical situation" in Tehran regarding water supplies. At least 10 provincial capitals recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius on Monday, including Tehran, the meteorological agency said. The heatwave has been accompanied by drought, with the capital experiencing its lowest rainfall in 60 year, according to the Tehran Provincial Water Supply Company. Water levels in the reservoirs which supply Tehran have fallen to "their lowest level in a century", the company said, advising people to use a tank and pump to cope with mains disruption. Tehran provincial governor, Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said the dams are only filled to 14 percent, adding that the capital is going through its fifth year of drought. 'Crisis' Many residents reported water supply cuts lasting several hours in the past few days. "It's not just the heat -- there's also no electricity and no water," said Ms. Moini, a 52-year-old housewife from Tehran, who only gave her family name. "Our whole lives have basically fallen apart." President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that "the water crisis is more serious than people are saying". Many Iranian newspapers carried photographs of the low reservoir levels on their front pages on Tuesday. In Iran's hottest provincial capital, Ahvaz in Khuzestan in the southwest, residents complained that scheduled power cuts had continued despite temperatures nearing 50°C on Monday. In Tehran, drivers were forced to stop to prevent their radiators overheating in temperatures exceeding 40°C. According to the Fars news agency, the Tehran Provincial Water Supply Company plans to distribute drinking water in plastic bags if the mains supply cuts continue. While heatwaves are not uncommon in Iran, last July the government ordered banks and public institutions to close amid soaring temperatures. At the time, officials said electricity consumption had reached a record high of over 79,000 megawatts. © 2025 AFP
The Independent
7 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
No households fined for breaking hosepipe bans during recent droughts, water firms admit
Major water companies in England have not issued a single fine to residents for breaking hosepipe bans over the last five years, The Independent can reveal. Southern Water, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water and South West Water have confirmed they did not issue any fines, which can be as high as £1,000, despite having the legal power to do so for more than a decade. All four companies have introduced hosepipe bans at different times since 2020, including the heatwaves of 2022 and 2023, which left millions under restrictions. This year, Yorkshire Water, South East Water, and Southern Water have all imposed bans to curb non-essential use as England battles exceptionally dry weather. Under current rules, householders who breach a ban can be fined up to £1,000 if prosecuted, and companies also have powers to issue £100 fixed penalty notices. Despite high-profile campaigns urging households to save water, enforcement has relied entirely on public goodwill rather than financial penalties. Campaigners have told The Independent that leaking pipes, poor planning and inaction by water companies pose a far greater threat to supplies than people watering their gardens. James Wallace, CEO of campaign group River Action, said it was wrong to focus on 'threatening customers with £1,000 fines for watering their gardens' when water companies themselves spill billions of litres every day and face few consequences. 'Voluntary measures and public awareness aren't enough,' he warned, calling for 'real enforcement, aimed at water companies, and bold structural reform' to tackle worsening drought risks. 'No new reservoirs have been built in over 30 years, despite clear climate warnings about worsening droughts,' Mr Wallace added. Paul de Zylva, sustainability analyst at Friends of the Earth, said that hosepipe bans are a 'sticking plaster solution to a problem that is only going to get worse'. 'Recent heatwaves only add to drought conditions, making it harder for everyone – not least hospitals, care homes, farmers and transport operators – to cope,' he added. It comes as the government announced plans to scrap the regulator Ofwat in an overhaul of regulation for the troubled water sector. The final report from the Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, made 88 recommendations to the UK and Welsh governments aimed at turning around the industry, which has faced public fury over pollution, soaring bills, shareholder payouts and executive bonuses. The number of serious pollution incidents caused by water firms across England also rose by 60 per cent in 2024 compared with the previous year, the Environment Agency said. Three water firms were responsible for 81 per cent of these serious incidents – Thames Water with 33, Southern Water with 15, and Yorkshire Water with 13. It attributed the rise in incidents last year to persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance, and reduced resilience because of the impacts of climate change. Southern Water said that during its 2022 hosepipe ban, most customers complied voluntarily. The company said it focused on explaining the reasons for the ban and encouraging people to comply, viewing enforcement as the 'very last step'. Yorkshire Water also confirmed no fines had been issued. A spokesperson said: 'Whilst we do have the power to enforce the restrictions and have a process to deal with those breaching it, we would prefer not to have to use this and would hope customers would work with us and respect the restrictions, recognising it's been put in place to protect essential supplies. The response so far has been brilliant, and we've seen demand coming down.' South West Water and Thames Water both confirmed they did not fine customers for breaching restrictions. Nicci Russell, chief executive of water efficiency charity Waterwise, said: 'At Waterwise we are clear that the UK is running out of water, and that this will affect every aspect of our lives.' She added that even if water companies fixed all their leaks, 'there would still be a big gap between the water we have and the water we need.' Ms Russell said hosepipe bans remain a legitimate tool to manage demand but argued the most effective solution is for everyone to 'waste less water, now,' alongside considering whether ministers should introduce stronger legal powers over time. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) officials said hosepipe bans typically reduce water use by around three to five per cent, helping supplies last longer and protecting the environment. Defra encourages households to take steps to save water, such as fixing leaky toilets, installing water butts and reusing leftover water for plants.
