Residents of UK's driest village showing worrying side effect of drought

Residents of UK's driest village showing worrying side effect of drought The UK's driest village has been transformed by weeks of scorching temperatures and little rain, with residents now noticing an unexpected impact of the extreme conditions Residents of a Cambridgeshire village which has endured the driest conditions in the UK this year say the weather is beginning to take a toll in an unexpected way. Histon, just north of Cambridge, has been transformed by the prolonged dry spell, with residents describing scorched gardens, depleted ponds and increasingly difficult conditions for keeping plants alive. The village recorded just 196.4mm of rainfall between January 1 and July 19, according to the Met Office, less than half the amount recorded over the same period in 2024. Virtually no rain had fallen since June 26. It has since been named the driest location in the entire country. A hosepipe ban has also been in place across the Cambridge Water region since July 9, forcing people to find increasingly inventive ways of coping. But the impact of the drought is not only being seen in gardens, with one local resident saying people have begun noticing a change in their breathing. Julie, a hairdresser in her fifties, told The i that the amount of dust around the village had increased as the ground dried out. She explained: "All the mud has turned to dust and the lawns to straw. All of us are noticing that we're coughing quite a lot. A lot of people who have got asthma are struggling more." UKHSA advice The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that drought can increase the amount of dust in the environment, potentially affecting people with existing respiratory conditions. It advises people who use inhalers to carry them during hot and dry periods, while also warning that pollen levels and poor air quality can affect breathing. From 9am on Tuesday, the UKHSA has also issued heat health alerts which will remain in place across England until Friday evening. Officials have urged people to take simple steps to stay safe, such as drinking plenty of water, checking on vulnerable friends and family, and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day. Julie has also found herself having to deal with the practical consequences of the dry weather in her own garden. "It's been quite difficult having a large garden and trying to keep it alive. Obviously all the lawns are just straw and I'd never water them, but the pots and expensive plants have got to be kept alive, which we're having to do with water butts." She has been holding "watering parties", where friends come round, drink wine and help her keep her plants alive. The weather has also taken a financial toll on her business. When temperatures reached 35C, seven clients cancelled their hair appointments in a single day. She has chosen not to introduce cancellation fees because many of her customers are older people. Adapting lifestyles Another Histon resident, Julie Dunn, 62, previously said that the village's green spaces were also showing the effects of the prolonged dry spell. She said the duck pond on the village green was at the "lowest level" she had ever seen. “It’s a very beautiful area, and it’s very pretty, but it doesn’t look at it’s best - it’s just brown and burnt," she said. Julie has resorted to collecting water around her home to keep plants alive while restrictions remain in place. She explained: “The dry weather means I’m having to water and be very careful - we have a bucket in the shower, and we save all our grey water, and we use that for the garden. We always put a bucket in when we have a shower to get the excess - washing up water, we always put in the water butt to try and avoid filling our watering cans from the hose." She believes the conditions could change the appearance of British gardens for years to come. “I think we’re all going to have to look at different plants and things for our gardens - it’s going to change how peoples’ gardens look, they’re not going to cope with the degrees of heat that we’re getting and the lack of water,” she added. Jo Catterick, 62, also previously revealed how residents were also adapting their daily routines to cope with the heat. “I’m living like a middle aged Greek woman - where you see them close the shutters at 11 o’clock and get all their jobs done first thing in the morning. They live their lives more in the evening, which I think people are doing much more now, it’s much less busy in the day.” Dust devils The extreme dryness is being felt well beyond Histon too. Footage captured in Greenwich Park, south-east London, on Sunday showed a small whirlwind known as a dust devil sweeping across the park, picking up dust and hay as it moved. Jimmy O'Keeffe, who filmed the phenomenon, said he was "shocked and in total disbelief" after the swirling column disturbed his picnic. The 35-year-old, who is originally from Manchester but lives in Greenwich, said it lasted for several minutes before disappearing. Some people moved away from their picnics as it passed, with some even screaming, although most remained calm. His picnic food had a "lucky escape", he said. Another dust devil was spotted near Leeds Castle in Kent over the weekend. Dust devils can form on warm, sunny days and become visible when they pick up loose dust, hay or other material from the ground. The Environment Agency has warned that prolonged dry weather is putting pressure on water resources across England, with Cambridgeshire among the areas affected by drought.