Meteorologists at Wisley have not recorded any rainfall for more than 50 days<\/p>\n
A pond near a Surrey gardens is at its lowest level for nearly two decades, a local wildlife charity has said.<\/p>\n
The pond at Pond Farm on Wisley Common, adjacent to RHS Garden Wisley, has been drying up over recent weeks as the hot weather persists.<\/p>\n
James Herd, director of reserves management at Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) where he has worked for 17 years, admits he has "never seen the pond so low" in that time.<\/p>\n
"It is a very obvious visual indication of the scale of the drought," he said.<\/p>\n
The UK has experienced its fifth heatwave of the year, while meteorologists at Wisley not recording any rainfall for more than 50 days.<\/p>\n
While the hot weather was predicted to cool over the weekend, its impact will remain.<\/p>\n
There are "signs of struggle" among the plants and trees near the drying pond, Herd said.<\/p>\n
"In some habitats, we are seeing trees with leaves coming off like autumn has set in… it's a self-protective measure."<\/p>\n
His view is that measures need to be taken to prepare for long periods of dry weather, because this summer is "not a one-off".<\/p>\n
"Sceptical or not, the data shows that we are getting more extremes," Herd said.<\/p>\n
Pond Farm lays on lowland heathland, a rare habitat found on acidic and nutrient-poor soils.<\/p>\n
Herd explained that there is a desire to hold more water on this type of land, particularly in preparation for the dry summer months.<\/p>\n
One way of achieving this aim is to encourage the return of beavers.<\/p>\n
"They will do the rewetting work for us… we should look to nature to help us cope better," he said.<\/p>\n