‘Our normally ‘green and pleasant land’ has been reduced to a straw-coloured mosaic’
This year’s record-breaking summer has been a serious challenge for many and tragically life-changing for some. Emergency alerts sent to the mobile phones of millions as wildfires engulf numerous homes, helicopters with their water containers trailing below them a common sight in many areas where fires had taken hold, the well-being of the more vulnerable in our society quite rightly emphasised as a priority.
Our infrastructure has creaked in places with many of our cities, towns and homes unsuited to providing comfort in extreme heat and drought conditions. For those earning a living in agriculture, heightened stresses have been endured as they struggled to find ways of safeguarding livestock and crops. The ‘north-south divide’ hasn’t normally referred to the UK’s weather but Scotland has not witnessed the extremes seen across England and Wales during recent hot spells.
Our normally vibrant, green and pleasant land has been reduced to a straw colouredmosaic as the sun has waged a sustained, relentless campaign of hostility against our flora and fauna. Temperature records have tumbled as our very way of life has been tested and questioned. On the day the UK’s record temperature was again exceeded, across Europe many other countries surpassed their own previous hottest days.
At the same time, thousands of people were stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport as Japan experienced unprecedented rainfall and flooding. Environmental events are now frequently subjecting the globe to extreme conditions, be it immense wildfires in Australia and North America or severe flooding in Asia: different types of natural disaster but no less catastrophic.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but temperatures have been rising for some time. The signs have been there. The UK’s spring of 2025 was our driest for more than 130 years. Various global incidences of extreme weather over recent years cannot be disputed, with more frequent occurrences of serious environmental turbulence being recorded across several continents. These prolonged drought and extreme flood events were not so long ago being described as ‘once in a generation’ but are now commonplace across the globe.
Whilst we in the UK have been reminded we’re really not in charge, our neighbours in the natural world are seeing the drying out of so many critical habitats. With this comes unavoidable significant risk of dehydration and starvation. The more prolonged the dry spell, the worse the outlook becomes and the harder the recovery. Our tiny island is but a small jigsaw piece on the globe but our rich variety of plants and wildlife have endured great suffering with critical long-term consequences for so many species and their surroundings.
Some plants endure drought better than others. A combination of prolonged periods without rain and intense heat has resulted in widespread scorched vegetation, disappearance of ponds, diminishing marshlands and greatly reduced water levels in rivers and lakes. Clear and obvious implications arise.
Low oxygen levels place immense strain on aquatic environments and the shear lack of moisture on land can be catastrophic for all kinds of mammals, birds, amphibians and insect life. Early ripening of fruits and berries initially seems helpful to some but what will the larder provide in weeks to come when the natural world expects its usual timely harvest in preparation for winter?
Great crested newts, Atlantic salmon, nightjars and bumblebees are among headline concerns across wildlife trusts but the loss of all habitats that rely on moisture can be devastating for a wider multitude of plants and creatures. Multiple heatwaves have resulted in rescue centres being inundated with hedgehogs, cygnets and young deer, among many other creatures.
In each case, the helpless victims of heat exhaustion relied on members of the public to prevent a worst-case scenario. The demise of wild birds in such extreme conditions is very visible. Without help for food, water and bathing, the health of many can quickly deteriorate.
Hope Remains
The scale of recent difficulties has been well documented but hope does remain. For our islands, whilst water is under increasing strain, parliamentary reports show we are not, in fact, short of rain,with 10% more being seen per year compared with 1970. The timing of the rainfall, however, is an issue. More condensed periods of rain, wetter winters and limited means to capture what falls all contribute to our current circumstances.
At a time when urgent budgetary demands are being voiced for our health service, defence, transport and other country-wide sectors, it is simply not possible to prioritise all requirements. What IS clear is that if any changes made to our water retention, supply and infrastructure are to make a difference, they will need to match the pace of environmental change being seen all over the world. The cost of inaction will also be significant. It could be said that the spring of 2025 gave us a warning. If we are to reclaim the rain on a large scale, co-ordinated efforts must begin urgently.
What can be done?
At times of extreme heat, we can all offer some small-scale respite to our local wildlife with water and food placed in our gardens and surrounding areas but there is surely a need for wider consideration and contingency. Going forward, no-one can say with confidence whether our familiar four seasons will still provide the backdrop to our calendar. The Gulf Stream will continue to influence the timing and type of our weather systems but the ocean circulation system appears to be increasingly less stable and predictable. Rain has never been such an in-demand commodity,with vast expanses of the UK in desperate need for steady, sustained precipitation. Any short, sharp deluge onto hard, dried-out, unforgiving ground would simply wash-off and give little benefit toplant or animal life. Who would have thought continuous, prolonged drizzle would seem so desirable? This year’s extreme summer is leaving an indelible mark.
Ageing infrastructure gives rise to increased leakage concerns that require extensive repair work. New reservoirs, agricultural storage systems and regional transfer schemes can all take considerable time. There are no quick, easy fixes but if recent months have taught us anything, it is that joined-up endeavours are needed to plan for future drought risks and to avoid an ever worsening outlook. Drought, after all, poses a major environmental and economic threat and has no regard for geographic borders or regulatory boundaries. Natural methods of rainfall management can also play their part. The need to slow down, absorb and store our water has never been greater. The restoringof wetlands, reforesting, the allowing of natural spillage onto flood plains, maintaining crop coverthrough winter and the use of irrigation ditches can all help to guard against times of drought and flood.
The UK currently has one large desalination facility in London and a smaller facility in the Scilly Isles. The case for further plants faces significant challenges in the form of building and energy costs but new facilities are being proposed and developed. Changing environmental conditions are prompting increased recognition of the need for such plants. As we move forward, learning from other countries such as Spain, Australia and Saudi Arabia can help to ensure a resilient water supply. These are amongst several countries that produce substantial amounts of water for drought-threatened urban areas and agriculture.
Drought may well be ‘out-of-sight and out-of-mind’ throughout our typical winters but its threat is constant and very real. Thankfully, lower temperatures and rain showers have recently been welcomed in some areas but swathes of England and Wales remain desperate for prolonged rain. In the short term, let us all pray for a continuing move to recognisable, uninterrupted autumnal weather, more conducive to helping us and the natural world.
Carl Hier August 2026
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