Climate change will intensify UK droughts so we must take action now

2JHKK31 Manchester, UK. 19th July, 2022. Aerial photo taken on July 19, 2022 shows the partially empty Woodhead Reservoir near Manchester, Britain. A recent report by the European Commission's Joint Research Center showed that almost half of the European Union's (EU) territory and Britain are at risk of drought in July. Drought conditions and water scarcity are affecting energy production and reducing crop yield. Credit: Jon Super/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

Jon Super/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

TEMPORARY bans on using hosepipes to fill up paddling pools might seem like a parochial issue. But such modest efforts as most of England nears drought are a reminder that even countries perceived as perpetually rainy will need to get serious about saving water in a warming world.

Drought is part of many countries’ natural weather cycles, including the UK. But dry conditions are also expected to become more frequent and intense as Earth moves beyond the 1.2°C of climate change we have seen to date.

The worst is yet to come, which is bad news given how nations …

source: newscientist.com