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When
we go back through the weather records it appears that a drought
occurs about once every ten years.
Remember
the summer of '76?
1955
and 1956 were both very dry, as was 1962. But for many of us the
drought that will forever stick in the memory occurred in 1976 -
that long, hot summer.
In
fact 1975 had been quite a dry year. But when the weather began
to settle in early April the levels in the West’s reservoirs
were already fairly low.
Drought
is likely to become an increasing problem here in the West.
The demand for water continues to rise both among domestic and
industrial users and there are signs that our weather patterns
are becoming more extreme. |
| Richard
Angwin |
And
then for the next four months the sun beat down and the skies remained
blue and clear. And across the West Country our normally green fields
began to look more like parched prairies.
Crops
shrivelled and as water levels fell to unprecedented levels standpipes
began to appear across the region as water rationing began.
Things
got so bad we were advised to take drastic measures to conserve
dwindling water resources. By the middle of August the government
was becoming so concerned that they appointed Dennis Howell as Minister
of Drought.
Downpour
But
on the 28th August, almost to the day he was appointed, the Met
Office’s prediction of a breakdown in the fine weather was
confirmed as the heavens opened and for the next four weeks it rained,
and it rained, and it rained.
Drought
is likely to become an increasing problem here in the West. The
demand for water continues to rise both among domestic and industrial
users and there are signs that our weather patterns are becoming
more extreme.
Rainfall
patterns
One
of the noticeable effects of global warming has been the trend towards
more extreme rainfall patterns - more rain in the autumn and winter
(remember the flooding of autumn 2000) - less in spring and summer.
During
the summer of 1997 Points West featured farmers who were bemoaning
the lack of rain for sowing their spring crops. But these are likely
to become a rather more frequent occurrence in the next 50 years.
In
many parts of the world water is treated as a highly valuable commodity.
Access to water is a source of international conflict. Here in the
generally wet West Country we take water for granted. But when the
sun shines and the rain fails to fall, only then do we begin to
appreciate the true value of our water.
by
Richard Angwin
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