The drought continues across the Channel. The water restriction measures will be launched in London from August 24, the operator Thames Water, the largest in the United Kingdom, announced on Wednesday.
Some 15 million people in the capital and the Oxford region to the west will no longer be able to water their gardens, fill their swimming pools, large or small, clean their cars, windows or patios with a garden hose, Thames Water said.
A first in ten years
It is the first time in a decade that water restriction measures have hit London, where drought in recent months has turned parks into dry, mat-like floors. Thames Water had warned of possible measures last week, in full heat in the United Kingdom.
Several water companies have already announced similar bans, mainly in the south, but also in (north-east) Yorkshire. Premieres began on August 5. In total, the restriction measures will affect almost 30 million people by the end of next week.
Drought and record temperatures in the UK
Thames Water explained that after the driest July on record and below average rainfall for 10 of the last 12 months, water levels in reservoirs and rivers were much lower than usual. The source of the Thames, the river that runs through London and the south of England, has even dried up.
Criticized for thousands of leaks on the network, the operator added that dozens of teams were working there with the aim of solving 1,100 each week.
On August 12, a state of drought was declared in much of England, and in particular in London. Le Royaume-Uni recorded record temperatures in July, with 40.3°C on 20 July in Coningsby, in the north-east of l’Angleterre, and 40.2°C at the London Heathrow airport the same day.
As in France, the heat wave has begun to give way to thunderstorms in the south in recent days. They come with a flood warning, as the ground is too dry to absorb water.
Source: BFM TV
