The record heat has caused not only wildfires in various European countries, but also increasing drying of nature. The situation may continue for a long time, because the heat is still going on.
Saana Uosukainen,
Jenni Joensuu,
STT
19:48•Updated 19:50
In Europe, the heat has brought a drought approaching records, which is feared to continue for a long time.
STT reports that the European Commission’s joint research center warns that the current drought could be the worst in 500 years. Senior researcher at the research center Andrea Toti said this week that the worst drought was experienced in 2018, but this year may have been even worse. Analysis of the current year’s drought is still in progress.
The drought may get worse and spread to almost half of Europe, the research center predicts.
The drought has already caused water shortages and wildfires in many European countries.
In France, the Var river has dried up badly
In France, an entrepreneur who rents boats in the area of the Verdon Gorge, popular with tourists, near Marseilles, noticed a change caused by the drought.
– The water level is five to six meters lower than what we are used to, entrepreneur Xavier Cheval said.
According to him, since the beginning of July, companies have had half as many tourists as customers than in previous years.
According to statistics, compared to last year, 40 percent less rain accumulated this year before July, and since then the area has been almost rainless.
There has been a water shortage in some places in the Var area, and residents have been forbidden to use water for washing cars and watering gardens.
– The drought has affected the tourism industry, especially in the Var region. All commercial places connected with water have suffered enormously, said the mayor of Aiguines Charles-Antoine Mordelet According to Reuters.
France is not the only country where drought causes water shortages and wildfires.
Water restrictions in Britain
In Britain, it has been warned that the drought will continue until next year in south-west England and in parts of southern and central England. Following the warning from the Environmental Agency, official water use restrictions are expected.
According to Reuters, July was the driest in England since 1935.
Two water companies in the southern part of the country have already announced a temporary ban on the use of hose and sprinkler systems. Thames Water, which supplies water to around 15 million customers in London and southeast England, said it planned to introduce similar restrictions.
In Derbyshire, central England, the number of fires has increased manifold due to the drought.
– During the last few weeks, emergency calls due to fires increased by a thousand percent in the Derby area compared to the previous year, says Clive Stanbrook From Derbyshire Ambulance Service.
According to him, a couple of weeks ago there were 34 fire engines and more than a hundred rescuers fighting a local fire.
In Europe, this year’s wildfires have burned the soil the second most ever in the history of measurements, even though the typical time for wildfires is only halfway through, says the Statistical Center of the European Union.
In Germany, traffic on the Rhine is stuttering
In Germany, plans are being made to facilitate the transport of materials and equipment necessary for energy on the country’s railways due to the drying up of the Rhine River.
The level of the Rhine has been at a record low and it is still falling, which makes river traffic difficult. Many ships cannot travel their normal routes fully loaded.
– We need extraordinary measures to ensure security of supply, Minister of Economy Robert Habeck said in a statement.
Spain: “We can no longer be the vegetable garden of Europe”
This summer in Europe, Spain has also been tested by record heat. Increased drought due to climate change is forcing the Spanish to rethink what the constantly dwindling water resources are used for. STT reports that the change may have permanent effects on the country’s economic structure, which can be seen on the vegetable shelves of stores in the far north as well.
Two thousand large dams were built in Spain in the 20th century, which is the largest number per inhabitant in the whole of Europe. The water from the dams made it possible to triple the area of agricultural land under irrigation. This was considered a real success story at the time.
Now in August, the amount of water in Spain’s artificial reservoirs is only 40 percent of the maximum on average and well below the August average of the past ten years. The situation is particularly bad in southern Andalusia, where reservoirs only have a quarter of water at best. The amount of surface and groundwater has also decreased.
In Andalusia, water has already had to be rationed. A considerable part of the fruits and vegetables consumed elsewhere in Europe are grown in the region. Some species, such as strawberries and avocados, are not suitable for hot and dry climates.
– We can no longer be the vegetable garden of Europe while the local residents have a shortage of water, says Martinez.