2009, The Year Of Drought?

[osmposm]

......You cant be seriously "concerned" about drought in the country, we get more rain than you can shake a bloody stick at, I just don't understand people when they get concerned over drought in this country, yes we have had droughts in previous years, especially in the southeast, but we moan in this country over the smallest things. When it gets too hot, rail tracks start melting and pavements also, some other countries would laugh at us. Other countries have much bigger weather problems than us. This is my opinion.

Never seen a rail melt in the heat, Marcus, thought they can expand and buckle! :lol: Not entirely sure we deal with it much worse in the UK than others, but if so, it's presumably like our probs with snow - not common enough to justify the expense. But droughts can be a very serious issue, as people have pointed out, and with more and more people using more and more water per head things can only get worse: abstraction of ground water in the south is already causing real problems in our rivers, as any fisherman or naturalist will know.

People periodically discuss creating a national water grid, to bring supplies down from the wetter north & west down to the drier and more densely populated south & east (annual rainfall in parts of East Anglia is no more than semi-arid desert, technically, though it's less seasonal). But the cost would be enormous, and there are significant environmental issues involved in linking up a variety of different waterways and catchment areas. So as long as significant droughts continue to be rare, we'll continue to keep our fingers crossed and hope they won't last too long. Which is actually probably the sensible thing to do, along with measures to try and reduce consumption: I think I read that Thames Water are moving towards universal domestic water metering, which can only be a good thing. Problematic for gardeners and those with large families, I know....but 70 or 80 million people will need to learn to be more careful than 50 million were.

As to this year - yes, Spring has been very dry here, but statistically-speaking it would be unwise to expect an unusually dry summer because of that. And as has been said, despite a dry December ground and reservoir levels are high, so even if we have one it shouldn't cause too many problems.

Ossie

[mushymanrob]

I see the met office now have a weather watch for heavy thundery rain on Friday for most of the Midlands, southern England and Wales. Largest rainfall totals are expected to be across the Midlands and east Wales.

As soon as someone mentions drought!!

sorry! lol...

[Terminal Moraine]

sorry! lol...

No need to be sorry on my account, Mushy, I love this weather as much as you love the dry warmth although I don't envy you riding on a mower all day in it; I've had plenty of experience of that!

The weather alert is now extended northward to include central northern England and some figures have begun to appear, totals of over 40 mm expected in some areas. I wait with bated breath.

[damianslaw]

Drought conditions occur during summer usually on the back of a long period of dry weather i.e. 1976, although 1995 came after a wet winter, though spring 95 was dry... The relatively dry winter we have had does increase chances of drought conditions this summer - but I think it will take an exceptionally dry 3 month summer period to see anything on a par with 1995, perhaps more on a par with July 2006 which also came on the back of a very dry winter...

It is interesting as someone else observed that our weather in terms of dry and wet periods seems to come in distinct blocks.. the period autumn 1988- summer 1992 was dry, then we entered a wet period from summer 92 - winter 94/95, then a very dry period from spring 95- summer 97, then a very wet period through to winter 2002, then a fairly average period from winter 2002 - spring 2005, then a dry one from summer 2005 - winter 06/07, then wet until winter 08/09 - so on this basis I think we are in a 'dry' period..

[GRHinPorts]

Drought conditions occur during summer usually on the back of a long period of dry weather i.e. 1976, although 1995 came after a wet winter, though spring 95 was dry... The relatively dry winter we have had does increase chances of drought conditions this summer - but I think it will take an exceptionally dry 3 month summer period to see anything on a par with 1995, perhaps more on a par with July 2006 which also came on the back of a very dry winter...

It is interesting as someone else observed that our weather in terms of dry and wet periods seems to come in distinct blocks.. the period autumn 1988- summer 1992 was dry, then we entered a wet period from summer 92 - winter 94/95, then a very dry period from spring 95- summer 97, then a very wet period through to winter 2002, then a fairly average period from winter 2002 - spring 2005, then a dry one from summer 2005 - winter 06/07, then wet until winter 08/09 - so on this basis I think we are in a 'dry' period..

Thanks for the additional background information damian

That definitely fits with my observation.

People would be unwise to dismiss the possibility of drought just because it might rain heavily for a day or two. In general we are in a 'dry' period for sure but thats not to say we will not have occaisional wet slots in between. Similarly in the midst of the last 'wet' period came April 2007.

Edited May 15, 2009 by GRHinPorts

[azores92]

i dont think rainfall levels around here are anything to be concerned about. we have now had around 8 inches worth of rainfall, and considering thats around a 3rd of our annual rainfall, i dont think we are doing too badly. i think we need to question has it really been that dry? we had very heavy snow and flooding in february, and yes we have had a dry few weeks, but only if we keep dry until july is there really any need for concern, i wouldve thought.

[Nick L]

We did have quite a long dry spell, but with the very wet past 2 years it is going to take a very long dry period to cause significant concern IMO.

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

The name of this thread seems to become more ridiculous by the day!

[J10]

The name of this thread seems to become more ridiculous by the day!

Perhaps we should start a thread, 2009 - The Year of No Summer and 2009-2010 the winter without any snow, to see if that has a similar effect.

[mushymanrob]

The name of this thread seems to become more ridiculous by the day!

true, but only a week ago there was no saying that the rain would come...of course it was pretty inevitable, but IF it had stopped dry, and it has in the past, this summer could have seen water restrictions IF the predominantly dry weather (for the south and eastern half of the uk) had continued.

anyway its irrelevant now, the rains came and its now unlikely imho that there will be and drought.

[Eugene]

The name of this thread seems to become more ridiculous by the day!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8057528.stm

Talking of ridiculous check this out. :lol:

Haven't had water restrictions since 1976 where i live in warwickshire and it has never been that bad heat wise either, even just 30C is very rare in the west midlands, more scare mongering i feel its only areas of the SE/east anglia that should worry not the vast majority.

Even in the dry spell rivers were at a healthy level but after all the rain we've had they are worryingly high, some roads are flooded in warwickshire from torrential thundery downpours earlier on.

[DR Hosking]

It cant be that dry, the stream by my house has been healthily full for over a year now, no-where near the low levels it reached a few years back and given how wet the last 2 years have been all the reservoirs and aquefers in the SE should be at a healthy level, no chance of needing water restrictions in my opinion unless the water companies are being very cautious with there water!

Edited May 19, 2009 by DR Hosking

[frostypaw]

Gotta be said in the south east here (north western kent) and my Garden at home is doing ok but has already needed serious watering at points this summer, and the gardens at work have been no better off. There has been a real check in growth in the plants I've not been giving extra water. The lawn edges are all scalded and the irrigation is in full swing on the course itself.

I suppose it depends on your definition of drought. As gardeners/lawn treatment technicians or whatever we rely on near-surface water to keep things ticking over. For us drought signs kick in far sooner than the technical definition is reached - it does still seem a very dry year in comparison to last year... but to be honest just properly average would do very nicely.

My feelings are that we're in for a changeable summer of comparatively slow moving systems, but I don't think we'll see seriously extended heat - the jet stream's behaviour still doesn't seem conducive.

Edited May 19, 2009 by frostypaw

[Snowyowl9]

Does seem like the SE is missing out on the showers other places are getting,it`s an all or nothing situation at the moment,it`s going to take something like a channel thundery low to balance it out abit.

http://91.121.93.17/pics/Recm1201.gif

Because if ECM is right a prolonged dry spell is coming into reach as the azores high comes ridges in.

[mountain shadow]

Haven't been on here for a wee while and saw this thread and thought what the hell?

Just shows the location, even in this small country makes all the difference.

The weather this side of the Irish Sea has been absolutely awful. Day after day of rain, wind, some thunder, hail and yes the odd funnel cloud thrown in for good measure. The only thing missing has been any decent sunny spells.

2009, year of the flood in my view. My back garden is like a bog.

[J07]

The southeast is always quite water stressed because it's a fairly dry area and a large population, and lacking in major rivers and lakes. I reckon at this time every year, the same cries are heard. Dusty gardens, struggling plants, warnings of summer drought. Are there really any hints that this summer is going to be especially troubling? Especially following the abundant rain of the last two years.

Out of curiousity, what is the driest 12 month period on record for any British station in history? Mr Data?

[Tucco]

Looks to be pretty dry month in parts of SE of England.

http://www.met.rdg.ac.uk/~brugge/CURR.html

Andrewsfield appears the lowest from this selection of sites at just 11mm. Quite a few places in SE are below 20mm. With high pressure perhaps forecast to build these totals are unlikely to rise much in during the rest of the month

Highest on this list is Shap on the Eastern side of the Lake District at 136.6mm.

AWS in Borrowdale in central Lakes is currently at 223mm.

Mark

Teesdale,Co Durham

[GRHinPorts]

Haven't been on here for a wee while and saw this thread and thought what the hell?

Just shows the location, even in this small country makes all the difference.

The weather this side of the Irish Sea has been absolutely awful. Day after day of rain, wind, some thunder, hail and yes the odd funnel cloud thrown in for good measure. The only thing missing has been any decent sunny spells.

2009, year of the flood in my view. My back garden is like a bog.

Is this because (I don't know so am asking) the battle between damp moist Atlantic air and dry air off the Continent has this year been taking place just that bit further NW than usual?

Under that scenario wouldn't the expected result be that the further SE you went into England the drier it would be BUT that Atlantic lows would stall over Ireland and produce every increasing rain?