A prolonged drought and a persistent heat wave have caused water shortages in the Netherlands, the Dutch government said on Tuesday. Authorities say the country's rivers have fallen to historically low levels and rainfall has been almost non-existent in recent weeks. The government has therefore decided to take measures to more carefully distribute water reserves and cope with the growing demand for water.
According to authorities, the Netherlands has gone from a situation of "potential" water shortage to a "real" shortage, and this situation is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Despite the situation, the supply of drinking water has not been jeopardized, as reserves were increased ahead of the summer season. However, restrictions on water use will be imposed in various areas, especially for irrigation.
Meanwhile, data from the Reuters climate monitoring system shows that the average maximum temperature in Western Europe is expected to reach 28.7 degrees Celsius, about 5.4 degrees higher than the historical average for this period (1961-1990).
In the Netherlands, the average maximum temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius is about 4.5 degrees above normal, adding to the impact of dry conditions in the country.
