New BBC weatherwise video about the drought: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/17346039

Originally Posted by: Steam Fog

Originally Posted by: Gavin D

Originally Posted by: GIBBY

I don't like scaremongering but I think this summer could be a real problem for people in the East and Southeast and to a lesser degree elsewhere. The period when water courses hold water better is almost past now and any Spring/Summer rainfall will just serve to nourish vegetation and evaporation. From a meteorological perspective it seems like an age since anything other than High pressure governed the weather for Southern and Eastern Britain and the output (apart from the odd blip) and the extended Met Office outlooks show little sign of pressure patterns changing anytime soon.

Yeah Matt Taylor was on about that on the 6 oclock news saying any rain in the summer just evaporates and doesn't really help

We also need 2 seasons with above average rain to be back out of drought.

Excellent does that mean you will be  for low pressure, cold and rain/snow come late Autumn and Winter? 

As long as the rain falls in Autumn and winter in the places that need it then yes.

All this talk of drought - sure to lead to another washout summer!

I wonder whether I should buy another water butte, I have been prevaricating about it for a while now, I already have 2 and although I will use them a lot in the summer if I can its only really for about 4 monthsd use. Can I really justify spending £30

what does anyone reckon, are we really going to see stand pipes in the street. as I live at the top of a hill. Water pressure is going to be a problem, I could use water butte water to flush the toilets, am I over reacting.  

Originally Posted by: Jim_AFCB

All this talk of drought - sure to lead to another washout summer!

That's what worries me!  Another dry warm spring and then a washout summer, though last year was dry through all the seasons here.  I'd rather it rain now and have the dry sunny days in summer please. 

Graphic from The Telegraph showing rainfall amounts in the SE in February 2012, the last 5 months, the last 17 months and also current groundwater levels. Very interesting:

Click the tabs at the top of the graphic to skip through each of the time periods: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9140456/Graphic-South-East-England-water-levels-and-drought-mapped.html

Originally Posted by: Essan

Originally Posted by: danm

Graphic from The Telegraph showing rainfall amounts in the SE in February 2012, the last 5 months, the last 17 months and also current groundwater levels. Very interesting:

Click the tabs at the top of the graphic to skip through each of the time periods: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9140456/Graphic-South-East-England-water-levels-and-drought-mapped.html

And, as per the map in the MetO blog, the SE has had a quite a lot more rain over the past 17 months than much of the Midlands!    And most of us have had more than in 75/76.

Which goes to show, it's not just lack of rain in the SE.   Although I recall saying many, many, years ago that the only way the SE could sustain it's demand for water was if every year had above average rainfall - even average rainfall every year would not be enough in the long run. 

I blame it on all the breweries

I'd be interested to see if the SE actually has had more rain than the Midlands. The Midlands rainfall totals have been even more below average than some parts of the SE, but is the normal annual rainfall totals higher in the Midlands than the SE? If that is the case then the SE may actually have seen less rain than the Midlands, but the deviation from the mean may just be less than it currently is in parts of the Midlands. 

I have no idea of the answer myself. 

I have to agree with some of the previous poster, its not simply a case of less rainfall, immigration and over population has a lot to answer for, there have been no new reservoirs built around here but the population has increased substancially.

My village alone has increased in population massively over the past 30 odd years, so much so that there is no land left to build a promised health centre which we badly need.

Edited by user 13 March 2012 17:25:21(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

£1,000 FINE FOR USING HOSEPIPE

HOUSEHOLDERS will face £1,000 fines if they use a hosepipe as part of plans to avert Britain’s worst drought for 124 years.

Companies have the power to impose the penalty under Section 76 of the Water Industry Act 1991, which states: “Any person contravening a water use prohibition shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding £1,000.”

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/307789/-1-000-fine-for-using-hosepipe