SWNSFrom a green and pleasant land to a brown and singed one, poor England has been suffering like the eccentric, grouchy old lady she is due to the recent heatwave.
We thought it would never end as we lounged in parks and back gardens, gazing lovingly into the piercing blueness of the sky and occasionally sighing ‘this is the life’.
However, glorious weather – much like love and shared-freezer ice cream – is not built to last forever.
And so, like a miracle revoked, the golden glow which had enveloped us during those two halcyon weeks dimmed, plunging us back into a grey world of drizzle and misplaced umbrellas.
SWNSMany of us were left with some quite painful souvenirs from the already nostalgic days of Costa Del England. And not all of them were related to too much Saturday afternoon cider.
Pink and perspiring, we slipped into the post-heatwave world like disappointed, hungover babies. Cross and bewildered as to the itchy aftermath of slow cooking yourself on your mate’s balcony.
Scorched scalps and peeling shoulders, angry red blotches marking the shape of your optimistically purchased ‘summer wardrobe’.
SWNSAnd the sun hasn’t just left a mark on the peaky, office-dulled skin of the UK population.
Satellite images have emerged which shows how fields up and down the country have been baked brown following the two week heatwave, during which temperatures hit those perfect BBQ high notes of 30C.
From above, the landscape we know and love looked utterly unrecognisable; the grass dry and lifeless, with no hint of the lush greenery which has inspired poets and tourists alike for generations.
Find out more about the effects of this heatwave below:
June ranked as one of the top five warmest on record – since 1910 no less – with the UK getting less than half the rainfall expected.
According to United Utilities, there is now a hosepipe ban on the way across many parts of the North West:
We’ve all been enjoying the lovely hot weather but the lack of rain and high demand for water means that our reservoirs are now lower than we’d like them to be at this time of year.
That’s why we’ve taken the decision to introduce a hosepipe ban across most of the North West on the 5th August. This means you won’t be allowed to use either a hosepipe or sprinkler as they use an incredible amount of water. We know hosepipe bans can be inconvenient but by taking these steps now we can make sure we have enough water for more essential things like drinking, washing and cooking.
A small number of postcode areas in Cumbria are not currently affected by the ban. You can use our address checker to see if you are affected and when the ban will be introduced in your area.
SWNSNow, we Brits may complain about the amount of rainfall we are subjected to – especially in Manchester – but these pics just show how beneficial rainfall is for keeping our shared home beautiful.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.