Winter rainfall not enough to prevent spring drought next year, forecasters warn
Average rainfall over winter will not be enough to prevent drought in some areas next year, predictions suggest.
Friday 14 October 2022 16:45, UK
Drought is predicted to return for Spring 2023, despite the recovery of rainfall levels this winter.
The rain finally returned to average rates this September, for the first time in six months, according to the latest monthly national .
But where it has stayed dry for months, this has made no difference to shrinking reservoir levels, keeping most of the country in drought.
Now forecasters from the National Drought Group warn that winter rainfall levels will not be enough to prevent an impending drought in spring next year.
If rainfall remains below average, water companies have forecasted impending drought beyond spring. The most notable areas include the Southwest, Southeast, East, Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
The lack of moisture in soils has already had a significant impact on agriculture this year, leading to reduced water availability for farmers and constrained winter storage.
The drought also has a crucial effect on fish populations, which means water needs re-oxygenating and fish need rescuing as a consequence of lower river and groundwater levels.
During a meeting held this month, Sir James Bevan, the Environment Agency Chief Executive, said: "Our lives, livelihoods and nature all depend on one thing - water.
"Climate change and population growth mean we need to take action now to ensure we have enough over the coming decades to manage everyday supplies, and more intense drought events."
"We have a plan to do that and delivering it will require all of us to work together - government, water companies, regulators, farmers and businesses, and each of us as individuals. The Environment Agency is determined to do its part."
As part of its plans to tackle the issue over the next six months, the group is encouraging their costumers to consume less water by fixing leaks, issuing hosepipe bans and employing water saving facilities such as eco-friendly shower heads.
Eleven of the Environment Agency's fourteen areas are at drought status including: Devon & Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, East Anglia, Hertfordshire and North London, Kent and South London, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Midlands, West Midlands, Solent and South Downs, Thames, Wessex, Yorkshire.
The other three areas are classed as being in prolonged dry weather: Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, North East, Cumbria and Lancashire.
Trudy Harrison, Water Minister, said: "The record-breaking temperatures, unusually low rainfall and widespread drought the country has experienced this year are a reminder that we need to adapt to ensure our water supplies are resilient and secure in future."