Babak Belurs

Jumat, 12 Agustus 2022

UK Heatwave: Official drought declared across large parts of England - BBC

Parched grass in Greenwich Park, in London

An official drought has been declared as low-water levels and tinder-dry conditions continue across the UK.

Eight parts of England, including Devon, Kent, East Anglia and Lincolnshire are affected.

The move is expected to trigger stricter controls on water use and five water companies have already announced restrictions, including hosepipe bans.

Millions are expected to be impacted but the Environment Agency said essential water supplies were safe.

John Curtin, director of operations, said the drought would go on for "a long time" and warned of possible restrictions on crop growing and further hosepipe bans.

It comes as the prolonged dry weather - combined with the current heatwave and July's record-breaking temperatures - have depleted rivers, reservoirs and aquifers.

Large swathes of England are bone-dry, with scenes of parched earth and grass turned yellow.

The conditions have prompted the Environment Agency to move eight of its 14 areas into drought status:

Devon and Cornwall

Solent and South Downs

Kent and South London

Hertfordshire and North London

East Anglia

Thames

Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire

East Midlands

Yorkshire and the West Midlands are also expected to move into a drought later in August.

The decision to declare a drought was taken after a meeting of the National Drought Group - made up of government and agency officials, water firms and groups including the National Farmers' Union.

Announcing a drought means government and water companies will put into action their plans to deal with it, with measures including hosepipe bans and taking more water than usual from rivers.

A map showing areas affected by the drought

Members of the public and businesses in drought-affected areas are also being urged to use water wisely following the driest first seven months of the year since 1976.

Elsewhere, Wales Drought Liaison group is also looking at the effect of the dry weather.

Five water companies - Welsh Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, South East Water and, most recently Yorkshire Water - have all announced hosepipe bans, while Yorkshire Water said on Friday that a ban would start on 26 August.

The latter firm, which has more than five million customers, says parts of the region have seen the lowest rainfall since records began more than 130 years ago.

It also said rivers and reservoirs in the region were running at 20% lower than expected for the time of year.

South East Water, whose ban came into force on Friday, is now asking people to observe restrictions on using hosepipes to water plants, wash the car and fill paddling pools - with rule-breakers facing fines of up to £1,000.

Dominic Gardener, a farmer in West Sussex, said the dry weather was posing huge challenges for farmers.

"Everything is starting to struggle a bit - our grass is not growing at all - and livestock, we're having to feed them extra food," he said, adding crop yields had also been reduced by the dryness.

Farmers in parts of Fife are being temporarily banned from using water from the River Eden on their fields.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency says the measure will come into effect from midnight on Saturday to tackle critical water shortages.

A four-day amber warning for extreme heat from the Met Office is in place for many parts of England and Wales until Sunday.

Areas of Cambridge have turned brown amid the drought

Temperatures are forecast to be lower early next week, however, and the Met Office has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms on Monday, covering most of England, Wales and Scotland.

And its fire severity index - which assesses how severe a blaze could become - is currently "very high" for most of England and Wales.

The situation facing firefighters across the UK has been described as "unprecedented", with increasing numbers of wildfires.

Fires have broken out across the nation, including in Leytonstone, east London, Studland Bay, Dorset, Creswell, in Derbyshire, The Dower House in Bristol, and Overton, near Basingstoke in Hampshire.

Police have evacuated about 50 homes in Creswell after a major incident was declared due to a field fire.

Fire crews are also tackling a large blaze which broke out at a Leicestershire recycling centre.

Meanwhile, homeless people struggling with the extreme heat in Bristol said it was "making us sick," and even sitting in the shade was "tiring and sweaty and uncomfortable".

Bristol Street Outreach Team, operated by charity St Mungo's, has been carrying out additional shifts and giving out water, advice and sun protection to those in need.

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UK temperatures have been rising day-on-day through the week. According to the Met Office, on Friday the highest temperatures were recorded in:

Wiggonholt, West Sussex, at 34.5C
Northolt, west London, and Hermonceux West End, East Sussex, at 34.2C
Heathrow, west London, at 33.9C
Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, at 33.8C
Chivenor, Devon, at 33.7C.

Over the weekend temperatures could peak at 36C.

Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said there would be "increasingly warm nights" with temperatures not expected to drop below the low 20s in some places in the south.

Sir Keir Starmer has accused the government of failing to fully prepare the UK for drought, and also out at the response of water companies.

Water firms have been criticised over leaks, with about three billion litres of water lost each day in the UK - between 20% and 24% of the total water supply.

The Labour leader said the drought was "predictable" but "as usual we had no plan from the government".

Environment Secretary George Eustice said there was "no reason for people to be alarmed".

He told BBC News that the UK's water supply "remains resilient" and that "we're in a stronger position than ever" to withstand droughts, with progress made on leaks and infrastructure to move water between reservoirs.

Heatwaves are becoming more likely and more extreme because of human-induced climate change.

Research institute UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) said it would require "exceptional" rainfall over the next one to three months to bring river, reservoir and groundwater levels back up to normal.

It said analysis showed exceptionally low levels would probably continue until October in southern England and Wales.

But scientists have warned bouts of heavy rain after a prolonged period of hot weather can cause flash flooding.

Robert Thompson, a professor of Meteorology at the University of Reading, said "the ground has effectively become like urban concrete" and will not absorb water quickly enough to cope with longer showers.

The situation in the UK is being mirrored across Europe. Much of the continent is baking in record heat, exposing riverbeds and triggering restrictions on water use in many areas.

A drought has also hit Germany's Rhine River, where the water is already too low to allow some larger vessels through.

What is a hosepipe ban?

Restrictions on usage during hosepipe bans can vary between water providers but generally people are not allowed to use hosepipes or anything that connects to a hosepipe or an outside tap.During a ban, people cannot use a hosepipe to:

water a garden or plants
fill a paddling or swimming pool
clean a car
fill a pond
clean walls or windows

But you can use other water sources, like using your mains water supply but with buckets or watering cans instead of hosepipes, or using stored rainwater from a water butt and there are some exceptions when a hosepipe can be used.

Anyone breaking the rules could face a fine of up to £1,000.

Drought declared across England as Yorkshire hosepipe ban announced - The Times

An official drought has been declared for large parts of England, the government said today, affecting at least 30 million people.

Parts of the southwest, southern, central and east of England are to be moved into drought status, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

It is likely to mean that millions more people will face restrictions on water use over the coming weeks and will put pressure on water companies to act.

The National Drought Group, which includes the National Farmers Union (NFU) and environmental groups, met this morning to discuss the prolonged dry conditions as parts of the southern half of England and eastern Wales endure a heatwave. Temperatures of up to 35C are forecast for this weekend.

The Environment Agency

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2022-08-12 15:30:00Z
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No trains to run at Bressingham Steam and Gardens after fire - Eastern Daily Press

Published: 7:28 AM August 12, 2022

Steam train fans will miss the chance to ride one of Norfolk's most popular miniature railways after a fire nearby left it unable to run.

Bressingham Steam and Gardens cannot run any of its railways or gallopers today (August 12) after a fire broke out next to the Fen Railway yesterday.

Crews from East Harling, Thetford, Harleston, Attleborough, Hethersett, Long Stratton and Diss were called to the electrical fire in Fenn Lane at 4.58pm.

Hose reel jets and main jets, supplemented by a hydrant, and hand appliances were used to extinguish the blaze and most crews left the scene by 7.46pm.

The attraction's gardens, exhibition hall and Loco Sheds will open as usual as it offers entry-only admission with no rides operating.

Bosses at the railway will make another assessment today ahead of its Steam in Miniature event this weekend.

A Bressingham Steam and Gardens statement read: "We are really sorry for any inconvenience this causes our visitors and we ask you to please bear with us at this time."

Updates on the condition of the railway will be provided on Bressingham Steam and Gardens' social media accounts.

Anyone who has pre-booked tickets for Friday, August 12 is urged to contact the railway on 01379 686900 or at info@bressingham.co.uk, and tickets will be either refunded or transferred.

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2022-08-12 06:28:00Z
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Drought to be declared in southwest England while Yorkshire Water announces hosepipe ban - The Times

A drought is expected to be declared for southwest England as the government meets water companies today to discuss a dry spell that scientists fear could persist well into the autumn.

The National Drought Group, which also includes the National Farmers’ Union and environmental groups, will convene as a heatwave sits over most of the southern half of England and parts of eastern Wales, with temperatures up to 36C forecast over the weekend.

Fears of water shortages are spreading, with Yorkshire Water today announcing that a hosepipe ban covering its five million households would start on August 26. The last one was in 1996. Neil Dewis, the company’s director of water, said: “Our decision to introduce a hosepipe ban is based on the risk that

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Kamis, 11 Agustus 2022

Tory leadership race: Rishi Sunak unveils plan to slash energy bills for millions during cost of living crisis - Sky News

Rishi Sunak has unveiled a plan to slash rising energy bills for up to 16 million vulnerable people which he hopes will propel him to 10 Downing Street.

In a dramatic move as his Tory leadership clash with Liz Truss becomes increasingly bitter, he is said to be prepared to find up to £10bn to cut bills for poorer households.

And in a swipe at his opponent, the former chancellor declared in an article in The Times: "Whatever the 'boosterish' talk of others, you can't heat your home with hope."

Politics hub: Truss retains commanding lead in race for No 10 - live updates

As the cost of living crisis becomes the overwhelming issue in the leadership campaign, Mr Sunak wrote: "People need reassurance now about what we will do, and I make no apology for concentrating on what matters most."

But Mr Sunak's latest cost of living plan will be attacked by Ms Truss's supporters as another U-turn and with many party members having voted already in the leadership poll it may have come too late to save him from defeat.

According to The Times, Mr Sunak accepts that his plan to cut VAT on energy bills would cost £5bn, and he would now also find up to £5bn more to help those most vulnerable to rising prices.

He also predicted that as energy prices continue to rise the government would have to raise more money from a windfall tax on energy companies, a move rejected by Ms Truss at the latest leadership hustings in Cheltenham.

Benefits systems is 'quickest' way to support people

In his article, Mr Sunak said he would offer specific support to pensioners and those on benefits as they "simply cannot increase their incomes to meet their energy costs and are the most vulnerable in society".

He said universal credit, winter fuel payments and similar routes would be used to top up their incomes, with the goal of ensuring they were no worse off as a result of rising bills.

Mr Sunak's team claims that until Ofgem announces the exact level of the price cap later this month, he cannot not promise that he would cover the entire cost of the rise for the most vulnerable groups.

But it was emphasised that it was his intention to cover "as much of the hole as possible", with households already likely to be £400 to 500 worse off than predicted in May.

In his article, Mr Sunak said if he became prime minister he would extend the scheme he launched in May that provided every household with £400 off this winter's fuel costs, rising to £1,200 for pensioners and those on benefits.

He said using the benefits system was the "quickest, most effective, targeted way of getting support" to groups of people in the most need and could be put in place before the October price cap comes into force.

"I am unequivocal that, if I enter 10 Downing Street at the start of next month, I will provide the support required to the people who need it," he said.

"To parents and pensioners losing sleep about looming bills, I want to reassure them that I get it, I am on top of it and I have a plan to grip it.

"I can't say to the pound and penny what help will be available because we don't yet know the precise scale of the challenge. but I give you my assurance that as soon as we do, I will. And I will do as much as I can to help."

Sunak denies plan is a U-turn

Mr Sunak said he would pay for the plan by making savings in some other projects, adding that it might be necessary to "stop or pause some things in government" because "getting people through this winter has to be the first priority".

But in a move that will be seized upon by the Truss camp, he said he was prepared for "some limited and temporary, one-off borrowing as a last resort to get us through this winter".

Denying this represented a U-turn - having previously attacked Ms Truss for saying she would increase borrowing - Mr Sunak said their plans were very different.

"Borrowing relatively small sums temporarily in the throes of a crisis to provide targeted support is good, Conservative government," he said.

"Borrowing permanently for large, unfunded, inflationary spending commitments is a flight of fancy."

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He added: "You shouldn't make promises you can't afford to keep, and unfunded long-term tax cuts without doing the hard work on tackling inflation are not going to be kept.

"That is the basic honest approach to the country's finances that we conservatives have long prized."

In a further challenge to Ms Truss, the front-runner to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister, he said the foreign secretary needed to spell out how she would help those for whom October's price rise is least affordable.

He said: "The facts are we have days and weeks to act before millions of Britons are left struggling with unaffordable bills. I have set out my plan. It's here in black and white.

"I call on those rejecting my tried and tested method, to set out in detail how they would get help to those that need it in time before their bills need paying."

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2022-08-11 22:38:25Z
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No new measures to help with cost of living after crisis talks between Boris Johnson and energy bosses - Sky News

Boris Johnson has doubled down on his insistence that it is for his successor to "make significant fiscal decisions" after talks with energy bosses ended with no new measures to ease the cost of living crisis.

Speaking after the meeting, the prime minister said he would continue to urge the energy sector to ease the financial pressures facing struggling families.

But he repeated his stance that it is for his successor in Number 10, either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, to "make significant fiscal decisions", a Treasury spokesperson said.

Politics hub: Truss retains commanding lead in race for No 10 - live updates

Mr Johnson has been under pressure to use his remaining time in office to come up with a new package of measures to deal with the rising cost of living.

He has been accused of going "missing" and running a "zombie government" as the country hurtles towards a recession, with energy bills forecast to top £4,200 by January.

On Monday he rejected calls from Gordon Brown to hold daily emergency COBRA meetings to stop people "going cold and hungry" this October, when the energy price cap rises.

The former Labour prime minister said fresh support can't wait until a new PM is chosen on 5 September.

However, Mr Johnson's spokesman said that "by convention it is not for this prime minister to make major fiscal interventions during this period".

In a tweet after today's meeting, Mr Johnson said he knows people are worried about the "difficult winter ahead".

He said there is already a package of support in place, including a £400 energy bill discount for all households.

The Treasury said that Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and the energy firms agreed to "work closely" over the coming weeks to ensure that the public, including vulnerable customers, are supported in the face of rising costs.

Britain faces a national emergency with rising energy bills and a cost of living crisis.

But Labour accused the government of showing a lack of urgency and of being "missing in action".

"Families are worried about how they will pay their bills. But instead of showing leadership, the Conservatives are missing in action.

"The prime minister and chancellor have gone AWOL, whilst the candidates for the leadership have no substantive ideas about how to help working people meet the challenges they face.

"Labour will take the action that's needed to get us through this crisis, with real action to bring down energy bills for families, and build a stronger economy for our country."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey added: "It is appalling that the Conservatives still haven't announced any extra support for families and pensioners facing the hardest winter in decades.

"The cruellest element of this chaos is that those who could actually help, Truss and (Rishi) Sunak, are more interested in speaking to their party than taking the action our country needs."

Meanwhile, former leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn is among a group of MPs who have said Parliament should be recalled to discuss how to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Writing a letter to Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer and both the speakers of the House of Commons and House of Lords, the MPs say recent assessments of the rising cost of energy are "naturally causing fear and consternation for many people" and that Parliament should be recalled "in the public interest".

Other signatories include former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and former shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey.

Gordon Brown 'not leading Labour's policy'

The roundtable meeting comes as Labour prepares to announce its own package of measures to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer will be visiting Edinburgh tomorrow, where he is expected to speak about some of the elements of the party's proposals to help people with rising energy bills, before a full announcement next week.

Labour has faced criticism for attacking Boris Johnson for going on holiday amid the worsening economic crisis, despite Sir Keir also being away himself.

Earlier on Sky News, a Labour frontbencher denied Gordon Brown was leading the party's policy in Sir Keir's absence after the ex-PM called for energy firms to be temporarily nationalised, in his third major intervention this week.

Shadow Justice Minister Steve Reed said Labour would be setting out a package of proposals "in the next few days".

Asked if Gordon Brown was "leading the charge of the Labour party", he said: "No, Labour is going to come up with a fully costed package of proposals for how we will help the British people. Next week is when we are going to bring that forward."

Labour has already called for ministers to scrap what they call a "loophole" in the windfall tax on oil and gas profits.

The government announced in May that it would be introducing a levy on the "extraordinary profits" of the oil and gas sector. This included a tax break which the government said was intended to encourage investment.

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But Mr Reed said it was doing "nothing of the sort" as he called on the government to come up with solutions to the cost of living crisis now instead of watching the Tory leadership contenders "fight each other like rats in a sack".

Earlier this week, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey called for the rise in the energy price cap this October to be scrapped and for the cost to be covered through a windfall tax.

And today, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also piled on the pressure as she said the energy price cap rise should not go ahead and accused the UK Government of being "missing in action" on the issue.

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2022-08-11 14:26:15Z
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