The Midlands has moved out of drought status after a surge in November rainfall, officials announced following a national drought group meeting on Monday. The East and West Midlands had been in drought for 21 weeks, but record-breaking rainfall has pushed the regions into recovery mode.
November delivered 149% of the long-term average rainfall across England. The East Midlands recorded 218% of typical November rainfall, marking the wettest November since 1871. The West Midlands saw 185% of normal levels, the wettest since 1970.
The recovery comes after an exceptionally challenging year. England experienced its driest spring in 132 years and hottest summer since records began. Eight of 11 months this year brought below-average rainfall. The North West first declared drought status in May, followed by Yorkshire in June.
Water levels still below normal
Public water supply reservoirs currently stand at 79.8% full, below the expected 81.9% for this time of year. Some areas, including parts of Sussex served by South East Water, remain in drought. Officials warn that typical rainfall will be needed until the end of March to avoid drought conditions returning in some areas next year.
Helen Wakeham, chairwoman of the national drought group and director of water at the Environment Agency, urged continued water conservation. «The recent rain has helped some of our depleted rivers and reservoirs, but we are not out of the woods yet. The spring was exceptionally dry and the summer very hot. Therefore, I would urge people to carry on using water as efficiently as possible – particularly while our environment recovers from the impacts of the recent drought.»
Technology to tackle future droughts
The Environment Agency is working with The Alan Turing Institute on advanced river flow modelling to identify early drought signs. At Tuesday's meeting, Robert Bradburne, the Environment Agency's chief scientist, emphasized the role of technology in building resilience.
«Droughts are becoming more complex to analyse as the climate and society's demand for water changes. Today we took an important step in tackling this complexity head-on. This agreement to work more closely with water companies on advanced tools, such as AI, will greatly enhance our scientific capabilities. This will lead to better forecasts and more decisive and well-evidenced responses to drought.»
Water companies are required to maintain efficiency measures, tackle leaks aggressively, and apply for drought permits early when needed. Around 19% of water is currently lost to leaks, with a target to halve this figure by 2050.
All areas are keeping their drought status under review, with more changes anticipated in the coming weeks. Drought is considered over when river, groundwater, and reservoir levels return to normal.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
