UK May Declare Drought in August in Wake of Powerful Heatwave, Report Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom may declare a drought in August following a ferocious heatwave, a measure that will restrict farmers from watering their crops during the crucial period of their growth, the Guardian reported on Monday, citing experts.

On Tuesday, the National Drought Group, which unites government departments, water companies and other stakeholders, will convene ahead of the schedule to discuss a possible response to such unfavorable conditions, the newspaper noted.

Due to extreme temperatures that blanketed Western Europe in mid-July, the UK farmers were forced to draw more water for crop irrigation, thus increasing the evaporation rate from water bodies, the Guardian reported. If the government does introduce a drought plan, farmers throughout the country will not be allowed to irrigate their crops, which could potentially lead to crop failures. As most farmers have active contracts with retailers, the costs incurred by poor yields will fall squarely on the growers' shoulders, the newspaper noted.

"Everybody in the supply chain, retailers, have to make sure they pick up the tab for rising costs... It needs others in the chain to come and take these extra costs into account," Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The UK previously declared droughts in 2018 and 2011.