The Environment Agency have issued an update regarding drought conditions in the UK.
Parts of East Anglia and now the South East are officially in drought status with parts of Midlands continuing to experience drought conditions.
Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, and west Norfolk are still in drought. Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, London, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and the east of Gloucestershire are now officially in drought.
Shropshire and Nottinghamshire in the Midlands region are still affected by dry weather.
In the Anglian region groundwater levels remain exceptionally low. Soils in these areas are still not wet enough for widespread recharge to take place.
As dry as 1976
Many reservoirs are lower now than they were in the severe drought of 1976 which brought severe drought to much of the UK. Emergency measures were put in place with many streets and villages having to collect water from standpipes due to rationing of supplies.
What makes the current situation all the more distressed is that the UK entered into the winter of 2011/12 having already experienced a very dry late summer and autumn with no significant rainfall through the winter. A prolonged dry spell or a very hot summer may just tip the balance.
Drought risk map 2012
The Environment Agency issued a drought management briefing on the 10 February.
Helen Vale, National Drought Co-ordinator, said: “Water levels in rivers, lakes and underground water sources are dependent on the amount of rainfall received. Northamptonshire has seen the driest 16 months since records began (ending January 2012). Pressure on water resources looks set to increase over the next few months, so it is more important than ever that consumers, businesses and water abstractors use water wisely.”
Whilst the southern parts of the UK's water supplies are low, Scotland's water stocks are currently at 98% capacity.
It's not just the UK who's been affected by the dry conditions. Lower than average rainfall blights much of western Europe. The top image is of a farmer's reservoir in the Lot et Garonne, south west France.
The reservoir should be 100% full at this time of year but a very dry year in 2011 with no real rain through this winter, it could be a tough year for plum production.
Stay up to date with the latest drought information: Defra drought
Recent Comments