UK Farmers Pray For Rain Amid Driest Spring Since 1852

slon writes:

Science X reports that UK farmers are praying for rain as Britain suffers its driest spring in well over a century, which has left the soil parched and crops stunted from lack of water. Not a drop of rain has fallen since March.

"I'm not quite sure how I'm going to handle it on the farm, I'm hoping that we're going to get some rain, if not then I'll have to somehow magically do something," Abblitt, 36, told AFP.

The tiny green shoots of the sugar beets poking through the cracked, dusty earth "should be at least twice the size," he sighed. In a neighboring field he has just planted potatoes with the help of his father, Clive, toiling to break up the baked soil.

A total of 80.6 millimeters (3.1 inches) of rain has fallen since the start of spring, which covers the months of March, April and May, according to the national weather agency. That is well below the all-time low of 100.7 millimeters which fell in 1852, according to the Met Office.

"This spring has so far been the driest for more than a century," the Met Office told AFP, cautioning that it would be necessary to wait until the end of May to confirm the record.

According to the Environment Agency, levels in the reservoirs have fallen to "exceptionally low".

It called a meeting of its national drought group last week, at which deputy director of water Richard Thompson said climate change meant "we will see more summer droughts in the coming decades".

The dry start to the year meant water companies were "moving water across their regions to relieve the driest areas", a spokesperson for Water UK, the industry body representing water suppliers, told AFP.

Memories linger in Britain of July 2022 when temperatures topped 40 degrees (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time.

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