The source of the Thames has dried up during the drought, and river experts say it’s the first time they’ve seen it, while forecasters warn of higher temperatures to come.
The source of the river has shifted from its official starting point outside Cirencester during the continued dry weather and is now more than 5 miles (8 km) downstream.
Dr Rob Collins, director of policy and science at the Rivers Trust, said: “Following prolonged dry weather, the source of the Thames in Gloucestershire has dried up, with a weak flow now only perceptible more than 5 miles downstream (at Somerford Keynes).
“Under our changing climate, we can expect the frequency and severity of these periods of drought and water scarcity to intensify, with increasing competition for a dwindling resource and devastating impacts on aquatic life.”
The Met Office said on Thursday that the heatwave and dry weather showed no sign of abating, with little rain forecast for next week and temperatures that could climb into the mid-30s.
The Met Office’s head of meteorology, Steve Willington, said: “Many areas of the UK, particularly the south, will see temperatures several degrees above average, but these values are likely to be well below record temperatures that we saw in mid-July.
“As high pressure builds, there is very little significant rain in the forecast, particularly in areas of southern England which experienced very dry conditions last month.”
Although the source of the Thames changes during dry weather, Thames Water has not implemented restrictions on water use, such as a ban on hosepipes. Instead, it asks users to be careful with tap water, doing things like turning off the faucet while brushing their teeth. Government sources revealed on Wednesday that they were frustrated that water companies were not banning the hoses.
Thames Water has warned that a ban could be put in place. The supplier began the first stage of its “drought plan” in May, but warned that the next phase would be to implement a temporary ban on use, including on hoses.
A spokesman said: “The timing will depend on the amount of water used by our customers, which determines how fast the reservoir storage decreases, and the amount of flow in the rivers, which determines how much water we can take to fill them.”
Collins said water needed to be used more efficiently in homes and businesses, by implementing metering across the country and reducing leaks in our supply networks.
He added: “Implement nature-based solutions that retain water, storing it and slowly releasing it into rivers when they need it most.” [means] we can be more resilient to this changing climate, ensuring a sufficient future supply of water for both people and wildlife.”
Thames Water was criticized on Wednesday for jeopardizing a £250m desalination plant opened 12 years ago to boost drinking supplies during long periods of drought.
The Thames Water plant in Beckton, east London, opened in 2010 with plans to supply up to 1 million people during emergencies, but that ambition has been scaled back amid doubts over when the facility can start working
Despite July’s heat wave and the driest eight-month period since 1976, the Beckton plant will not begin supplying potable water until next year at the earliest.
Met Office statistics showed that July this year was the driest July for England since 1935, and the driest July on record for East Anglia, the South East and the South of England.
The UK’s Center for Ecology and Hydrology has shown how much of the country is at risk of drought. East Anglia and Kent show the most severe category, ‘extremely dry’, and other home counties and Devon are classified as ‘severely dry’.
Cornwall, central England, north Wales, east Scotland and parts of the north-east have had six “moderately dry” months, but this could change if below-average rainfall continues .
This week, South East Water announced that Kent and Sussex would be under a hose ban from August 12 until further notice, with a £1,000 fine for those who break the rules. Last week, Southern Water said Hampshire and the Isle of Wight would be under similar measures from Friday.