News Drought 2018
Summer 2018 writes history
We are heading for a historically dry summer. According to the latest weather forecasts, the precipitation deficit in the Netherlands will be equal to 1976 before the end of July.
Due to the drought, a special committee of Rijkswaterstaat will meet today, Wednesday 18 July. That committee must examine the current situation and what measures are needed to distribute the water that is becoming scarcer.
The program precipitation deficit is currently at about 220 millimeters, and it is expected that this will increase to more than 15 millimeters in 260 days. The KNMI recently announced this. Since not much rain is expected this weekend, the precipitation deficit continues to increase.
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The year 2018 is approaching the year 1976, but is just below it.
If we add up the precipitation from June and July, on average 30 millimeters of rain fell. That's what weatherman Jan Visser says. It's impressive drought record Certainly. Especially when this amount is compared with the 'normal' precipitation amount of 146 millimeters in June and July.
Dependent on rainwater
According to Judith de Jong, spokesperson for the Union of Water Boards, the problems differ per region. In the east of the country, the water supply is almost entirely dependent on rainwater. "That is why many irrigation bans have been announced there."
The arable farmers in the Drenthe part of the Veenkoloniën were told on Monday 16 July that they may only irrigate with surface water (Hunze and Aa's) from 19:00 to 07:00. In the east of the country and in the province of North Brabant (partial) irrigation bans have also been introduced. Centrally in the country, the Vallei en Veluwe water board has imposed an abstraction ban.
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There has been very little rainfall in the country recently.
Shortage of water?
When asked whether there is really a water shortage in the Netherlands, De Jong says that the drought is lasting for a very long time. "It is true that there was some precipitation at the beginning of this year, but that was mainly local downpour. We see that the Dutch water supplies are declining rapidly; for example, the stock in the IJsselmeer is declining."
"We are also dependent on river water in the Netherlands. The supply of this is declining due to the drought in surrounding countries", says the spokesman. For example, the water discharge from the Rhine at Lobith is declining, and the critical lower limit is even in sight.
Farmers affected
The agricultural sector will be one of the first sectors to make do with less water, because drinking water and dikes are more important. Still, LTO Nederland is not panicking yet. Jaap van Wenum, chairman of LTO Akkerbouw, estimates that the potato harvest will be 20% to 25% lower. "However, dry years are usually the best years financially," says Van Wenum.
The effects of the drought are becoming increasingly apparent in Europe. Trouw made a map that clearly shows the drought in Europe. Earlier it became clear that the drought in England has major consequences for the yields of potatoes, vegetables and carrots. Also the harvest of winter wheat, due to the drought, started almost 2 weeks earlier.
Anne-Jan Doorn
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