The England River Thames has had it's starting point dried up, while it moved downstream, after weeks of little rainfall and a heatwave in July that destroyed the UK's all-time temperature record
CNN reports that the river source has moved 5 miles (8 kilometers) downstream to Somerford Keynes, quoting the Rivers Trust, which works across the UK and Ireland.
The Thames normally begins in the English market town of Cirencester, part of the green and hilly Cotswolds countryside, while flowing through the capital, London, and then out into the North Sea.
Christine Colvin, Advocacy and Engagement Director for the Rivers Trust, in a statement sent to CNN said:
“What we’re seeing at the source of the iconic River Thames is sadly emblematic of the situation we’re facing across the country, now and in future".
“Whilst it’s not uncommon for the source to be dry in the summer, to only be seeing the river flowing five miles downstream is unprecedented. The climate crisis is leading, and will lead, to more extreme weather including droughts and heatwaves. This poses a grave threat to rivers and, as a result, the wider landscape,” she said.
Christine added that the country needed to build resilience against the future climate.
“This means detecting household leaks, fixing mains infrastructure leaks, more efficient water use domestically plus implementing sustainable drainage solutions as part of desperately needed green infrastructure".
England authorities are warning that the country could officially fall into drought at some point in August, occasioned by heat and rivers headwaters shift.
According to the Met office, Southern England recorded its driest July on record since 1836, with only 17% of average rainfall, with the country as a whole recording just 35% (around 23 millimeters) of its average rainfall in July.
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