2012 UK Drought

[La Bise]

Long hike on and around Kinder, a fair chunk off path. My boots were cleaner after...Very dry up there and the level of Kinder reservoir seemed lower than it should. The streams were far from peak conditions, Kinder Downfall was reduced to very little (shame as the strong wind was blowing the righ way to create the always entertaining uphill waterfall effect...)

[The PIT]

Latest rainfall radar isn't giving me much confidence of any decent rainfall in the next 24 hours either. Nice little split just east of the Pennines. Just the odd spot of rain in the wind

Edited April 3, 2012 by The PIT

[reef]

Exceptionally wet here today with 29.8mm since midnight. Thats almost as much as February and March combined.

The weather is certainly pretty grim, but at least its usable rain which will help alleviate the drought as it will have chance to soak in.

[Terminal Moraine]

Is that a white or are you able to manage a red at your altitude?

Don't know about grapes John, in some summers I've a job to grow runner beans here!

[johnholmes]

Don't know about grapes John, in some summers I've a job to grow runner beans here!

I once made wine from them-almost drinkable!

[picog]

Despite the appearance on radar, and the fact that it's been spitting, raining and snowing etc all day, we have only had 9mm rain. Still, 9 mm better than 0 mm.

[The PIT]

Latest rainfall radar isn't giving me much confidence of any decent rainfall in the next 24 hours either. Nice little split just east of the Pennines. Just the odd spot of rain in the wind

Mmmm that comment got the rain gauge filled up at least an inch maybe more. A long way ahead of 75/76 once again.

[Terminal Moraine]

The rainfall total for April is already well ahead of that for the whole of March; 39.6 mm up to 1800 g.m.t today, almost all of it from melted snow.

[Severe Blizzard]

Only 19.8 mm at Guildford in March - last 'proper' rain was on 4th March (10.1 mm). At least the dry conditions in March were anticyclonic with sunshine and pleasant conditions. Now it is a return to the type of dross which has been the bane of the last 18~24 months (except December 2010) - unsettled setups that don't deliver rain or interesting conditions in central SE England. All we have had off this 'major' event of the last 36 hours is 1.5 mm. There is no sign of any more rain or showers and it's just more cloud and wind with little or no rain.

I would put money on 2012 being yet another year that fails to produce any noteworthy thunder event.

Sorry, this part of the post should go into the whining thread but I can't find a current one.

Although some people may not agree, there is a definite correlation with dry Marches and Aprils and wet summers or at least poor summers which may be cloudy, breezy but still rather dry - like 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 were in this area. One can infer why I am getting sick to death of this pattern after suffering it for four consecutive years. It's a double kick in the teeth having to wait and work through endless weeks of rainless / snowless / thunderless unsettled weather to get to June and go on a much needed and hard earned holiday just in time for the rain to arrive. Also the probability is increased of missing the only decent thunder event of the year while away from home, thereby ruining the holiday. This naturally is to be followed by returning home to have more of this current 'unsettled rainless dross' or to have a heatwave just in time for the weeks of Olympics with which we are all going to be bombarded from the media after mid-July. I personally hope for a wet April and May which would increase the chances of some decent convective activity too and more anticyclonic development by the start of June ensuring a month like March - sunny, anticyclonic with proper dry weather to continue through June.

I cannot believe the current synoptic situation (map for 4th April not shown) could have only delivered 1.5 mm locally. I thought I had clicked onto the wrong year when viewing the map earlier tonight. The map resembles early April 1998 or 2000 when there was heavy rain HERE on both occasions plus snow in 2000.

[danm]

New BBC weatherwise video on the drought: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/feeds/17619133

We really are bone dry down here in the SE. The heatwave ended on Friday, it turned much cooler on Saturday but it has still been very dry. We had a couple of short lived showers on Monday evening. And while the Midlands, East Anglia, Wales, northern England and Scotland saw heavy rain/sleet/snow on Tuesday, we didn't even get a drop of anything here.

[Coast]

We better start getting used to it now!

Hosepipe bans in seven water areas

(UKPA)

Millions of householders across southern and eastern England will be banned from using hosepipes from Thursday as drought grips parts of the country.

Seven water companies are introducing restrictions on water use following one of the driest two-year periods on record, with domestic customers facing a £1,000 fine if they use their hosepipe in defiance of the ban. Thames Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Anglian Water, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East are bringing in the restrictions, affecting about 20 million people.

Customers will no longer be able use their hosepipes for watering their gardens, washing cars or boats, hosing down patios and paths and filling swimming pools, ponds, fountains and paddling pools. Public parks and allotments will also be hit. The firms insist the restrictions are necessary to preserve essential water supplies and protect the environment, in the face of drought which has left groundwater below 1976 levels in some places and rivers running dry.

Despite some rain in the past few days, March was another dry month and the whole of the South East and East Anglia and parts of Yorkshire are officially in a state of drought. Yorkshire Water has said it does not anticipate bringing in hosepipe restrictions as yet. The Environment Agency said most reservoirs were now below normal levels and river flows were decreasing. All rivers are experiencing lower than normal flows, with two-thirds "exceptionally" low. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "These temporary restrictions will help protect the public's water supply in the areas most affected by the record low levels of rainfall we have experienced. We can all help reduce the effects of drought by respecting these restrictions and being smarter about how we use water."

Shadow environment minister Gavin Shuker said: "The hosepipe ban and water restrictions are further bad news for households worried about the weather. We have seen the driest 12 months on record and drought conditions will become more common in future. "Lack of water could mean food prices go up, wildlife will suffer and, in the worst case, construction and energy industries affected. The Government needs to stop dragging its feet and legislate for the long awaited reforms we need to protect our water supply."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iYwdhoiYmv1_MsDFsrfMZJZMVr5Q?docId=N0114351333538249627A

[The PIT]

Well a front brought 29 mm of rain 1.5 mm less than last month. Makes it extremely difficult to match the 75/76 dry spell for several months.

[Summer Sun]

Millions Hit By Hosepipe Ban As Drought Grips

A hosepipe ban has come into force in drought-hit parts of the country, affecting millions of householders across southern and eastern England.

Seven companies are introducing restrictions on water use following one of the driest two-year periods on record. Domestic customers face a £1,000 fine if they use their hosepipe in defiance of the ban. Thames Water, Southern Water, South East Water, Anglian Water, Sutton and East Surrey, Veolia Central and Veolia South East are bringing in the restrictions that affect about 20 million people.

Most of the suppliers expect the ban to last all summer.

Customers are no longer be able to use their hosepipes for watering their gardens, washing cars or boats, hosing down patios and paths, and filling swimming pools, ponds, fountains and paddling pools. Public parks and allotments are also hit. The firms insist the restrictions are necessary to preserve essential water supplies and protect the environment.

Martin Baggs, chief executive of Thames Water, said: "Imposing restrictions on the use of hosepipes, although regrettable, is the most sensible and responsible next step in encouraging everyone to use less water so we can maintain supplies for as long as it stays dry, and reduce the risk of more serious restrictions later in the year." Despite some rain in the past few days, March was another dry month and the whole of the South East and East Anglia and parts of Yorkshire are officially in a state of drought.

The Environment Agency says most reservoirs are now below normal levels and river flows are decreasing. All rivers are experiencing lower than normal flows, with two-thirds "exceptionally" low.

The water firms bringing in restrictions say they are investing significant resources in fixing leaks, moving water resources from wetter to drier areas and encouraging their customers to save water.

But the Environment Agency has urged companies to do more to tackle leakage rates.

http://news.sky.com/...rticle/16202949

[The PIT]

This where the hose pipe ban is a little silly at times. We all know that we're supposed to use a shower instead of a bath becuase it uses less water plus in theory cleaner. Okay if I wash my car using a bucket it takes four buckets of water. Now I use a bucket to soap it down and rinse it off with a hosepipe which uses a lot less water. I probably use a bucket and half in total. When I lost the attachment to the hose I used three buckets and even then the soap wasn't fully off.

In the garden a hose waters areas you don't need while a watering can is more precise but it would beinteresting too see how much actually measured differance there is.

[danm]

http://www.telegraph...he-horizon.html

Drought: Stand-pipes and water rationing on the horizon

Households face water rationing and filling buckets from stand-pipes in the street if the drought gets worse, Government officials have warned, as the Met Office predicts a dry summer

The strictest hosepipe ban to ever be imposed is now in force across most of the south and east of the country after two dry winters in a row.

The fountains in Trafalgar Square and across London have been turned off and gardeners face £1,000 fines for using a hosepipe to water the lawn, fill a pond or wash the car.

A huge swathe of the east of England, from Teeside to Kent, is officially in drought and it is expected to spread west into the Midlands and South West if the dry weather continues.

The Environment Agency said the hosepipe ban is just the first emergency measure to help save water in the worst drought since 1976.

If water levels continue to drop then the second stage is asking non-essential users such as golf courses and car washes to stop using water.

Next public and commercial swimming pools have to close and water intensive industries like food processors that use mains supplies.

Finally there will a “rota system†imposed which effectively rations people by only turning the water on at certain times of day and asking certain areas to share stand-pipes in the street.

Despite some rain in the past few days, March was another dry month and most reservoirs are now below normal levels while two-thirds of rivers are "exceptionally" low.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said more severe restrictions could be brought in by the end of this year.

“In a worse case scenario it is possible if people are not being water efficient and saving water.â€

However she said the real “crunch point†will be if there is no rain this winter.

“It is possible we will limp through this summer and we will be alright so long as people are sensible but if we have a third dry winter we are not going to be in a good position next year and we are looking at more severe restrictions.â€

The Met Office three month forecast for Government predicts “drier-than-average conditions for April-May-June as a whole.â€

It reads: “With this forecast, the water resources situation in southern, eastern and central England is likely to deteriorate further during the April-May-June period.â€

Richard Benyon, the Environment Minister, admitted that more severe restrictions could be brought in.

He said also said water companies should be looking at building more desalination plants and emergency pipes overground to move water to dry areas.

“We are planning for the worst case scenario of a third dry winter and the impact that would have,†he said.

“Government has got to be prepared when these problems come along. We are. We have seen this coming.â€

Richard Aylard at Thames Water pointed out that a substantial amount of rain will be needed over a prolonged period to even begin recovering from the drought.

"Realistically I think it will be in place throughout the summer and into the autumn unless we have an unusually wet year.

"This situation has taken a couple of years to build up, it will take quite a long time to put right."

Kevin Clark at South East Water also said concerns are now turning to next year.

“Unless we have substantial rain the drought is going to last until the autumn. Our real concern is if we do not have any rain between now and the end of the summer then things will be very very serious towards the end of the year.â€

Already the imposition of the hosepipe ban is causing problems for gardeners and councils.

Garden centres face massive losses as people will not be buying plants if they cannot water them and sports centres are having to cancel matches as pitches will be too hard to play on.

Seven Water companies Thames Water, Southern Water, South East, Veolia Central and South East and Sutton and East Surrey Water have all imposed bans.

But gardeners are threatening to flout the laws, as there will be on official inspections, and claim many of the rules are confusing people and setting neighbour against neighbour.

Also customers are angry they are being expected to suffer when water companies are wasting billions of litres every day and paying out multi-million bonuses to bosses.

Average water bills in England and Wales rose above inflation to £376 in 2012, an increase of around £20.

Edited April 6, 2012 by danm

[johnholmes]

The link below provides an interesting view from UK Met on the rainfall prospects April to June, including a comment about linking dry periods over southern Europe to a decrease in thunderstorm type rainfall over the UK?

http://www.metoffice...-precip-AMJ.pdf

Edited April 6, 2012 by johnholmes

[The PIT]

Makes sense that drier conditions over southern Europe would provide less moisture for Thunderstorms. I've seen comments on here that Spanish Plumes provide much less activity and humidity than they used too. Whether it's all in the head and pure speculation who knows.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Sorry, this part of the post should go into the whining thread but I can't find a current one.

Although some people may not agree, there is a definite correlation with dry Marches and Aprils and wet summers or at least poor summers which may be cloudy, breezy but still rather dry - like 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 were in this area.

There has been one in recent years, but the evidence for this in earlier years is rather less compelling. Spring 1893 was exceptionally sunny and dry. April 1984 was very sunny and dry. March and April 1990 were both very dry except in the north-west, and April in particular was notably sunny in most regions. April 1995 was dry, sunny and warm overall except for northern Scotland. March and April 2003 were warm, dry and notably sunny.

One can of course quote various examples of warm dry sunny Aprils that led into dodgy summers, but one can also quote various wet Aprils like those in 1998 and 2000.

[Snowyowl9]

End of the drought here after all the snow melt,snow is the thing to bring the streams back soaks into the ground better and it`s cleaner.

[all weather]

This drought will soon come to an end.

Swings and roundabouts.

AW

[picog]

The wet week of showers has failed to deliver here. We have had one or two sprinkles during the week - not enough to measure. The garden actually needs watering again.

[all weather]

Don't worry Picog, rain is on the way, don't let the hose pipe ban/media make you think we are in a disaster.

Yes we had a dry spell, but overcooked by all the hype.

Weather is great, and averages are there for a reason. Does not mean we will dry up. Groundwater will soon be replenished, Rservoirs will soon fill up, then we will be moaning about how wet it is.

All very laughable, but looking forward to some nice heavy rainfall soon.

Just as I type, another bang of thunder today....and rainfall falling.

AW

[Nick L]

Fact: We have had 2 years of exceptionally low rainfall

Fact: Some rivers in the south are close to drying up or already have dried up

Fact: Reservoirs are very to exceptionally low in the south

Fact: The local showers of the past few days will have very little impact on the drought, we need weeks/months of prolonged rainfall to make up the deficit.

I'd say it is still concerning, although not disasterous...yet. To call it a "dry spell" is a bit of an understatement considering it has been one of the driest 18 months on record.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Nick L

[all weather]

Yes I agree with the extremely dry spell, but these things do not last and although some small rivers have dried up, and it is rare for this time of year, rainfall in this country is just around the corner.

I bet those rivers that have dried up will be flowing by the end of april, and reservoirs will be replenished to near normal levels. It is hard to say with reservoir levels as they get topped up from local rivers (which must be at ok levels) but currently Bewl is 49% full, Darwell at 47% full, Powdermill at 99% full - but this is ket full to service Darwell, and Weir Wood is 57% full. Although these are low for this time of year, it does not seem drastically low.

We go through dry spells as much as wet spells nd these things will even out. Ok we may be flirting more with the drier spells in this last few years...

I can't say it will be exceptionally wet but this country is in a geographical (if thats the right word) position to receive rainfall consistently throughout the year.

As it stands E&W have had approx 50% more rainfall so far in April to the 11th, with the drries areas - SE approx average but central England approx 100% more than average.

My point is and its just my opinion, that this 'drought' has been overhyped, yes we had a very dry spell but we are not at critical levels and we never will be. I don't believe the hosepipe ban was necessary. April and May are normally wet months and plenty of time for these rivers and reservoirs to be topped up.

Time will tell..........

AW

[The PIT]

Plenty of rain this month so far up 40 mm so far. However a very dry May would put us back by the end of the month to chasing the 75/76 period. So no the dry spell hasn't been over hyped at all.I think this belief goes back to well it's rained in my area a couple of days so it can't be a drought. I haven't a crystal ball and can't say if summer will be hot and dry. If so things could get critical. If it's wet and cool then there won't be a problem.

As for long term this is part of a natural cycle and I don't think we'll see the country turning into a desert. Years ago we had a drier spell that lasted over several years. Every TV program and many experts were saying rivers would dry up and never run again. We even had John Craven stood in a dry river bed on Country file. Needless to say a couple of years later he was back and couldn't stand in the river. The cycle had reversed.