After two long months trapped in haze and dryness, long-awaited rain has finally fallen on the village of Wisley in Surrey, England. According to residents, not a single drop of rain had fallen in Wisley for 62 straight days. The village’s grass lost its green color and turned brown, while sun-baked dust swirled in the air. The rain, when it finally came, felt like a miraculous blessing to residents.
British newspaper The Times reported Friday, August 21, that as raindrops touched the parched earth of Wisley village, many residents were seen throwing open their windows, while others stepped out into their yards without umbrellas to let the rain soak their skin.
All of Europe has been scorched by intense heat and drought this summer. While the extreme dry spell has hit the whole of the U.K., Wisley village appears to have suffered the worst of it.
From mid-June to mid-August, the area recorded no more than 0.2 millimeters of rainfall. As a result, it landed on the U.K. Met Office’s list as one of the year’s driest regions. With the prolonged drought pushing water levels down, local water authorities were forced to impose strict bans on using hosepipes to water gardens or wash cars. Hardened, cracked soil, dried-up ponds and the fear of wildfires spread through the village’s lanes and alleys.
At last, with the weather’s hostility broken, the village came back to life under a downpour of rain. Residents say the water shortage had brought their lives to a standstill, and that this rain represents not just a change in weather, but a much-needed chance to breathe a sigh of relief.
Meteorologists have warned, however, that the long-parched, hardened earth will take some time to absorb the water, meaning the relief also carries a temporary risk of waterlogging. Even so, the joy of quenching two months of thirst has brought a smile to every household in Wisley.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report