Drought and prolonged dry weather have transformed parts of Britain into a western-style frontier, with stunning new images capturing cattle kicking up clouds of dust as they are driven across a field in Kent.
The dramatic photos show a large herd being guided through a field in Ashford, evoking memories of Clint Eastwood classics. The area is experiencing prolonged dry weather, struggling under the weight of four consecutive heatwaves. Water scarcity has left farmers struggling to cultivate crops like oats and wheat, and dairy cows are producing less milk.
Areas on the brink
Ashford is among multiple areas across southern, central, and eastern England experiencing prolonged dry weather, according to the National Drought Group, placing them one step away from full drought, which has already hit half of England. Others under the same status include Devon, Cornwall, and Isles of Scilly, East Anglia, Hertfordshire and North London, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Wessex, the West Midlands, Thames and London, parts of Kent and South London, Solent and South Downs.
These areas could soon join East Anglia, Hertfordshire, the whole of London, Thames Valley, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex (including Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire) in drought.
Official warning
Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: “The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. A second consecutive summer drought is an exceptionally serious situation and one that will have long-lasting impacts on our environment, wildlife, and the economy.”
She added: “We want everyone to stay safe and hydrated during the hot weather but every drop we can save is a drop more for nature and agriculture.”
Impact on farming and food supply
Harsh sunlight and temperatures approaching 30C have turned green and pleasant Britain into a desert, with iconic monuments like Stonehenge and Greenwich Observatory now surrounded by yellowing landscapes. The damage goes beyond aesthetics, as farmers warn that crop yields are dropping and cows are struggling to produce milk.
The NFU warned this week that securing water supplies is critical, or the UK could face food shortages, with farmers requiring urgent water protection. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: "We have taken food production for granted for too long; we must create a more resilient food system to feed the 29 million households across the country, and we can’t produce food without water."
He told BBC Radio 4: “Those other countries around the world that we currently rely on to produce our food and vegetables, their climates are changing as well. It does feel like there is going be some shortages of [food] products.”
Around 23 million people are currently living under a hosepipe ban caused by the drought conditions, which have also fueled devastating wildfires, including one that has torn across Suffolk.
