British wildlife will be feeling the effects of this summer’s drought for years, UK government warns

Recent rain may have turned the grass green again, but the government says the damage this year’s drought has done to wildlife in England and Wales will be felt for years

This summer was a pretty rough one for England and Wales, with both countries recording their driest July since records began way back in 1836. This was mostly down to heatwave after heatwave, and on the hottest days demand for water shot up by as much as 30%, according to the National Drought Group.

While a bit of rain has finally turned up in recent weeks, the government says the damage to wildlife isn’t something that’s just going to go away once things start looking green again. In fact, the effects could be felt for years, the group claims.

‘The effects will last for years to come’

The Environment Agency’s chair, Tony Grayling, said the environmental impacts were still going to keep building.

“The short-term impacts of drought have been visible over the summer, but we know the effects on wildlife populations and ecosystems will last for years to come,” he said, as …….