The weather in the UK is extreme this year. Hardly any rain and unusual heat caused problems, especially in the south. Now a rare phenomenon occurs.
London – Brown foliage instead of bright green plants: In Great Britain, some trees are already shedding their leaves. “Because of the heatwave we are experiencing a ‘false autumn’,” London’s Horniman Museum an Gardens wrote on Twitter. “Leaves change color and fall to the ground prematurely” when trees went into survival mode due to drought.
False Autumn in UK: Trees switch to survival mode due to drought after heatwave
Early leaf fall is a sign of stress. The trees try to store moisture. “They release the hormones they use in the fall to retreat and survive,” said Rosie Walker of the conservation organization Woodland Trust. According to experts, younger trees are more at risk than older plants with deep roots.
Heat records in the UK with temperatures over 40 degrees
Britain is experiencing a particularly hot summer this year. Temperatures rose to over 40 degrees for the first time in July. It was the driest month on record in many regions in southern and eastern England. In the middle of the month, the government declared a state of emergency due to drought in large parts of England.
“False Autumn” – Animals could lack food in winter
The “false autumn” could also affect some animal species. As Woodland Trust explained, fruit ripens earlier, which could result in some animals not being able to find enough food in the autumn.
“The climate crisis is bringing about seasonal weather patterns that nature is not adapted to,” said Steve Hussey of the Devon Wildlife Trust. “Our long, hot summer and ‘false autumn’ will affect many species into the true autumn months and beyond.” (afp,ml)
