From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
By Paul Homewood
You could not make it up, but the Met Office can!
To fully appreciate what spring has been like we need to put it into context by casting our minds back to winter; a season traditionally regarded as a recharge period for the UK’s water supplies. UK rainfall over winter was down compared with average, with only 83% of average rainfall being recorded for the UK. This relative shortfall in a key period fuelled hopes for more rain to come for spring. Did it? Well, yes and no.
Spring rainfall across the UK has been very slightly above average (106%). But as always with averages, examining the detail can reveal interesting patterns. England has enjoyed well above average rainfall, with counties like Cambridgeshire recording around 161% of what they would in a typical spring. While the rain fell in England, especially during a very wet March, parts of Scotland – including Inverness and Sutherland – have only recorded just under two thirds of their expected rainfall (64%). This is the driest spring in North Scotland since 2018.
So most of the UK is doing fine, except for North Scotland, which has had the driest spring in five years!
Water scarcity alert anyone?
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