Extreme heat scorches parts of Europe
England grips with historic heat wave. Mercury regularly hit 80 and even 90 degrees this summer, making it officially the driest summer on record since the mid-1930s. The sweltering heat has left the river, and the reservoir is well below normal water levels.
London's mighty River Thames is not invincible either. For the first time since at least 1976, the source of the iconic river near the English village of Ashton Keynes, about 90 miles west of the capital, has dried up.
Michael Saunders, a traveler from the north of England, was shocked by what he saw as he passed the landmark on his vacation.
``We set out from the head of the Thames this morning, and have not yet found it!'' "As you can see, it's completely dried up. Strange puddles, strange muddy patches, nowhere to flow for now," he told AFP as he walked along a completely dry river bed. No. We hope to find the Thames downstream, but it is not flowing at the moment!”
July record temperatures and Combined, months of no heavy rainfall in many parts of the UK have taken a toll.
Instead of lush green meadows and winding streams, it has for many years marked the beginning of the Thames' journey 215 miles east to the sea. There are nothing but brown fields and dry, cracked riverbeds.
The River Thames still flows through London, but its starting point has moved significantly.
"After a prolonged drought, the headwaters of the Thames in Gloucestershire have dried up and only weak currents can now be seen more than five miles (5 miles) downstream." The Rivers Trust The Guardian told the newspaper.
As weather forecasters warn that extreme heat has no end in sight and that extreme temperatures could become more common during the summer months, rivers will return to their original sources.
As the River Thames pumps fresh water into the sea for millions of homes and businesses in Britain's most densely populated swath. , this is more than a nostalgic concern.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so dry and empty," said Andrew, who lives in Ashton Keynes. Mr Jack said. told AFP. He did not share some of his fellow Britons' enthusiasm for the changing weather patterns of the historically green and lush islands. , I think you're thinking, 'Actually, let's have great European weather!
"Personally, I'm afraid this will only get worse. We'll see more and more summers like this."
- Medium:
- Heat wave
- River Thames
- European Union
- United Kingdom
- London
- Drought
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