Emigrating Brits who cite the UK’s miserable wet weather as a key reason for leaving these shores probably appear a little confused right now, following the declaration that much of the south of England is in a state of drought.
The cause of the UK’s drought has been two dry winters reducing water levels in the region’s reservoirs, rivers and groundwater aquifers to well below normal levels but look a little closer, and you’ll see the situation isn’t a lot different in Europe, where a winter drought is threatening a number of countries.
“France had a tough year last year, with the March-May period being the hottest there since 1900 and the driest in 50 years, prompting restrictions on water use in much of the country and leading to millions of euros in aid to farmers,” said resident expat Alexis Goldberg, author of FranceBuyingGuide.com and its Facebook page.
“While reserves in the south-east corner had an injection at the end of last year when they were hit by torrential downpours, the same ones that caused terrible flooding in northern Italy, the rest of France is holding out for some decent spells of rain before spring arrives.”
Spain also experienced its driest January in 50 years, with rainfall across the country at 70 per cent below the January average. In Portugal, the situation isn’t much better after an extremely dry December and January means it too has a lot of catching up to do to avoid a drought this year – many people will remember the terrible 2004/2005 drought, the worst there since 1941.
One exception to the general trend is Cyprus, where the wettest January in 30 years has caused dams to overflow and much excitement at the prospect of a summer without water rations or a hike in the price of water.
Global warming or just Mother Nature showing she’s still in charge, the unpredictability of water availability and how you might need to counter it shouldn’t be overlooked by Brits starting a new life in the sun. Of course, one way to protect yourself is to buy a property with its own spring or borehole, but this won’t suit everyone’s style of home!
For details of property for sale abroad, visit the overseas listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying or moving abroad is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into a foreign currency. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange.
To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in France, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘France Property Buying Guide’