ShareAll records broken: The Dutch suffer driest summer ever recorded
The Dutch Water Management Centre made it official. In their latest ‘Drought-Monitor- Newsletter’ they published that the total precipitation deficit is now up to 306 mm, equal to a third of total annual precipitation. The shortage of rain now starts to take effect on open water quality (algae blooms) and leaves farmers with failing crops due to the irrigation ban. It also affects shipping due to shallow water depths and increases the intrusion of salt water into the Dutch fresh water dune landscape.
Other sources report that it would take 3 months of ‘typical Dutch weather’ or 2 weeks of almost consecutive rain to replenish the current deficit. In the last week it has rained up to 50 mm in some areas, but much needed mayor rains are not expected yet.
Watering gardens with drinking water has not yet been banned because drinking water supplies are still unaffected, so far. Inhabitants however are asked to use as little water as possible and not to use water during peak hours (morning and early evening), because at those times the incredible rate of consumption of drinking water could then not be met.
Photographer Albert Dros has recorded the 2018 drought on the Dutch coast. See his work here.
Image: when children can wade trough a mayor Dutch river to get to other side, that’s when you know there is a drought!
