The Netherlands is experiencing a water shortage due to the ongoing drought and heat, the Dutch government announced on Thursday.
Rivers are bringing historically low levels of water into the country, and it has hardly rained in recent weeks. As a result, measures are needed to evenly distribute supplies and meet rising demand for water.
The country has moved from a situation with a possible shortage to an actual shortage, which is expected to remain in the weeks to come. However, the situation does not affect the supply of drinking water, as stocks had already been increased before the summer.
Ships will likely face delays as locks will be opened less frequently to limit the inflow of salt water. Irrigation will also be limited in various places.
The average high across Western Europe is forecast to be 28.7 degrees Celsius on Thursday, which is 5.4 degrees above the normal high for July 16 from 1961 to 1990.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
