2012 UK Drought

[Snowy Easterly]

The positive from this wet spell is that it will have helped farmers water their crops - reservoirs are going to need far more heavy rain.

The positive from this wet spell is that it will have helped farmers water their crops - reservoirs are going to need far more heavy rain.

i have an allotment but nothing is out yet, as we still have the risk of frost, though next week look warmer at night, maybe i will risk it and put them out

hopefully may doesn't end up very dry like so many months previously just when i need the rain

Edited April 25, 2012 by Snowy Easterly

[Summer Sun]

What we are going to need is not a winter of lots of snow, but one of rain instead, a washout summer is not needed we've had enough bad summers I couldn't stand a 2007 style summer of floods.

People won't like it but a snow free winter is needed this winter and people in the drought zones need to hope for rain, snow is no good.

Edited April 25, 2012 by Gavin D

[Snowy Easterly]

no, the best thing to hope for is a very wet autumn then we can have a cold winter with lots of snow, that might be enough to help the drought.

[Cheshire Freeze]

What we are going to need is not a winter of lots of snow, but one of rain instead, a washout summer is not needed we've had enough bad summers I couldn't stand a 2007 style summer of floods.

People won't like it but a snow free winter is needed this winter and people in the drought zones need to hope for rain, snow is no good.

Yeah ok.....

It's ok for you to have your dry dominated summer but not OK for us cold lovers to have snow in winter....very dubious tone to your post considering how overt you are about your obsession with high pressure and heat and dislike of anything remotely wintry. How about a compromise and maybe opt (in a perfect world) to have a wet autumn which would, diplomatically, keep both sides happy?

Edited April 25, 2012 by CreweCold

[Bottesford]

Since none of us can control the weather (thank god!) then it probably doesn't matter what we want.

I think weather control technology would be a war starter if anything ever was!

[The PIT]

Chance of hitting making average rainfall for the year by the weekend. With rivers at normal to above levels and dams being full it's a difficult job explaining the drought in this region. People will certainly start questioning it with present rainfall bringing back memories of 2007 for some.

[Radiating Dendrite]

What we are going to need is not a winter of lots of snow, but one of rain instead, a washout summer is not needed we've had enough bad summers I couldn't stand a 2007 style summer of floods.

People won't like it but a snow free winter is needed this winter and people in the drought zones need to hope for rain, snow is no good.

Erm..........does the snow not melt and turn to water?

[chionomaniac]

But summer rain doesn't actually up the water table so if we only ever had wet summers & dry winters we'd be some serious trouble after only a few years.

I can't help but think that normal summer rainfall doesn't add to the water table, but exceptional summer rainfall would. If The last few weeks that we have had in April were repeated throughout the summer then underground water stocks would be replenished more than used. With that we could see a net overall gain - not perhaps as much as would occur in winter, but certainly enough to lead to an easing of the drought conditions leading to winter.

In effect there has to be a position in summer as well as winter that there is a net water gain to the land - it is just that a lot more rain is required in summer to reach that tipping point.

[Bottesford]

Oh absolutely - it would be wrong to say summer rains don't top up the water table but only if in sufficient quantity as you say.

From a pure drought busting perspective that'd be fine but with those sort of rain levels you are very likely to end up with problems of flooding (as seems to be happening already) plus it would cause terrible problems for agriculture with crops rotting in the fields. And then of course tourism (especially domestic tourism) would be badly affected.

Having more rain in winter than summer has to be better for the majority with the only exception being those who want a white Christmas! (Tell a lie - the Scottish ski industry too). Unless anyone can think of any other reasons why a dry/cold winter with wet summer combo would be better? I certainly can't.

[chionomaniac]

Oh absolutely - it would be wrong to say summer rains don't top up the water table but only if in sufficient quantity as you say.

From a pure drought busting perspective that'd be fine but with those sort of rain levels you are very likely to end up with problems of flooding (as seems to be happening already) plus it would cause terrible problems for agriculture with crops rotting in the fields. And then of course tourism (especially domestic tourism) would be badly affected.

Having more rain in winter than summer has to be better for the majority with the only exception being those who want a white Christmas! (Tell a lie - the Scottish ski industry too). Unless anyone can think of any other reasons why a dry/cold winter with wet summer combo would be better? I certainly can't.

I have to admit I was just thinking statistics not the everyday practicalities that would be affected - so agree with your points.

[Jimmyh]

In all essence what we desperately need here is 1 more heavy rain like we have just had and then we can have a better summer and then as soon as the olympics finish then it can rain again.

Sorry this is purely due to a bias that desperately wants a great spectacle for the olympics and everything that comes with it.

A poor august is what we have come to expect over the last four years.

[Village]

I live in the south east in Essex, just a few miles from what is officially the driest place in the UK with only 19 inches of rain per year.

We dont have a hosepipe ban in force and there are no plans for one. Our rainfall has been normal right up until this spring. Our rainfall is now running way above average. All our reservoirs are at very healthy levels and the rivers are overflowing.

I think that the region where there has been lower rainfall is not representative of the whole of the rest of the country. There was talk of this year being as bad as 1976. I did predict that we would be looking at floods by May. I think that the water companies are mis-managing the water supplies and not investing enough to keep up with increasing demand.

IMO this country is not in a drought situation. Its nothing like one.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Many continental areas seem to do alright with relatively dry/cold winters and wet summers- but then again the wet summers are mainly the result of heavy short-lived thundery downpours (such that it doesn't rain for a greater percentage of the time than in a normal UK summer month; rather what rain falls tends to be somewhat heavier).

[The PIT]

Ah well record wet april and we're also above average rainfall for the year now.

A couple of arks have gone past my window a few whales a lost royal navy sub.

News picking up on the weather and we've just had a reporter who was stood in a rather low river the other week back at the same place and the river is in flood or close to flood. Going to be a tricky media operation to convince people they're in a drought zone.

[Coast]

April deluge 'won't halt drought'

Most of the UK faced heavy showers today - but this month's deluge of rain will not be enough to avert a drought across parts of the country. There were scattered showers across almost all of Britain, with persistent rain in west Wales and Scotland, forecasters said. Parts of the North East also saw heavy downpours, resulting in 0.5in (13mm) of rain over six hours in Durham and 0.4in (10mm) in Shap in Cumbria.

Nick Prebble, forecaster at the MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "There are still some fairly slow moving heaving downpours all over the country. "Throughout April we have seen 175% more rain than would be normal, totalling 94.3mm (3.7in)." However, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman today said the rain would not avert the drought and water companies were right to impose a hosepipe ban.She told MPs the Government was well prepared for this summer's drought as they had "seen it coming".

But Labour warned there could be a shortage of drinking water as more people were relying on bore holes in their gardens.

The Environment Agency has issued eight flood warnings for south-west England after some areas saw up to 2in (50mm) of rain overnight and this morning during what has been one of the wettest Aprils on record. But speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Spelman said this month's deluge did not make up for the last two dry winters. And people should keep their umbrellas to hand as the rain is not set to let up any time soon, Mr Prebble said.

"The rain will be a little less widespread tomorrow, with heavy thundery showers contained to central and south-west England and showers on Saturday," he said. "However there is quite a big rainfall coming on Sunday, with a band of persistent rain coming north-westwards from France which will have reached southern Scotland by the end of the day. "Much of the east and west will see very heavy rain on Sunday and most, if not all, of the country will see some rain."

The weather is good news for gardeners, who have welcomed the downpours.

Guy Barter, chief horticultural adviser at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: "The RHS and gardeners welcome the rain we have been having. "Although several weeks of similar rain are needed to ease the drought and allow hosepipe bans to be lifted, the soil moisture levels are restored after a dry March. As soon as temperatures rise, plants will start growing vigorously. "Established plants will need no watering, but newly planted plants will need watering when summer arrives. Water butts will have filled nicely by then, even those bought in the recent rush, and their contents can be used in the sunny summer we hope for, when these chilly April showers are long forgotten."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/april-deluge-wont-halt-drought-7682083.html

[Andy Bown]

News picking up on the weather and we've just had a reporter who was stood in a rather low river the other week back at the same place and the river is in flood or close to flood. Going to be a tricky media operation to convince people they're in a drought zone.

As with some rivers in Dorset and Somerset I would suggest that they're at such a high level due to the intensity of the rainfall over a short period of time and a lot of water running off the still hard ground and into the rivers, rather them the rivers being so high due to so much rain that the ground can take no more.

[summer blizzard]

Well, so much for the drought extending northward.

The River Aire in Leeds City centre burst its banks yesterday.

[Village]

Another thing is the way in which the authorities simply spin out the statistics. We are told the country is in drought.

Its bubbish IMO because the whole country is not in a drought.

We are told that its months of below average rainfall that has reduced ground water tables. OK...what averages? what period? avregae what? average for where?

Its absolutely idiotic nonsense to simply spin out meaningless statistics without explaining what statistics, for what period and for where.

I bet if I dredged through the records I could come with a statistic to state that this month of April has seen the highest above average rainfall for almost one hundred years. But it would be meaningless without being given the exact details behind the statement.

In the meantime, I remain highly sceptical about this country being under drought conditions as some outy there are trying to make us all believe....I dont buy it.

[Snowangel-MK]

April 2012 early statistics – above average rainfall

These are early figures covering 1 – 25 of April and not full month statistics, so are therefore very likely to change. Especially regarding ranking. Full month figures will not be available until provisionally Wednesday 2 May.

http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/april-2012-early-statistics-above-average-rainfall/

Impact on drought

Looking at the England South area, which has been the focus of the current drought, this month is one of only three in the last two years which has seen significantly above average rainfall.

Trevor Bishop, Head of Water Resources at the Environment Agency, said: “it’s going to take more than a week or two of rain to undo the effects of nearly two years of below average rainfall.

[Snowyowl9]

Wettest month since july 2009 here at 5.6 inches and still raining as it has been for the last 24hrs non stop.

[Summer Sun]

Your local BBC 1 channel will be looking at the impact of water shortages in your region on Wednesday night at 19:30

[Costa Del Fal]

Your local BBC 1 channel will be looking at the impact of water shortages in your region on Wednesday night at 19:30

Soon it will be how to prepare for the impact of flooding! :lol:

[The PIT]

Another thing is the way in which the authorities simply spin out the statistics. We are told the country is in drought.

Its bubbish IMO because the whole country is not in a drought.

We are told that its months of below average rainfall that has reduced ground water tables. OK...what averages? what period? avregae what? average for where?

Its absolutely idiotic nonsense to simply spin out meaningless statistics without explaining what statistics, for what period and for where.

I bet if I dredged through the records I could come with a statistic to state that this month of April has seen the highest above average rainfall for almost one hundred years. But it would be meaningless without being given the exact details behind the statement.

In the meantime, I remain highly sceptical about this country being under drought conditions as some outy there are trying to make us all believe....I dont buy it.

The data is out there if you look. Try the met office for starters. Simply as that. By the way where have you got the idea it's the whole country in drought from it isn't and that's never been announced? A strange misplaced rant which is out of character.

Edited April 28, 2012 by The PIT

[johnholmes]

The data is out there if you look. Try the met office for starters. Simply as that. By the way where have you got the idea it's the whole country in drought from it isn't and that's never been announced? A strange misplaced rant which is out of character.

a sensible ripost to the rather silly post from Village-you been on the bubbly again Village?

[TonyH]

One of the wettest April's on record for Warwickshire (back to the 1870's).

Another inch and the record will be broken for Coventry (previous is 106mm), while Rugby is already over 100mm.