North London has had waaay over the long term average rainfall pretty much continuously over the last 12 months, peaking at 185%. I wonder if it is starting to represent a shift in summer rainfall patterns.
This makes alarming listening with regard to chalk streams. It explains why they are in such a poor state, despite being seemingly reasonably full. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000zdqs
Certainly in the south-east of England there has been a high level of river abstraction - subsidising companies along the rivers, as they take great masses of water. Chalk bed streams are globally rare and very delicate environments that don't do well with farm and road run off. They have been badly abused over the years and many have disappeared all together.
I stayed on a chalk bed river in August in Herts and it was great to see it flowing in good health. Local communities are involved in close monitoring to continue improving its health and make sure it's carefully stewarded. It runs under the M1 which makes it all the more remarkable that it's doing well. A year of good rain and high summer levels, have really helped the flora and fauna thrive.
As expected, the data shows that rainfall levels across England were exceptionally low through November, especially in the south and the Midlands. Here's hoping that December and January will have good rainfall to put us in a strong position next year.
Here in sunny Gloucester we had more than enough rain over the past year.
On my allotment I have 13 water barrels which usually are used up fairly quickly in the spring and early summer and empty until they fill up again in the autumn, not so this year, as I used the water during the spring and summer the barrels filled up again.
I only had 4 that I completely emptied and washed out, they are all filled up again.
From reading these monthly reports from the English Env Agency over the past few years, it seems that the UK can do one very dry season, whichever that might be; but two back to back presents real problems. Soils 'recharge' best in winter when the weather is cool and evaporation is lowest. So it seems that heavy winter rain is always going to be the most useful for reducing soil deficits. A dry winter is hard to make up through the rest of the year.
As noted above, rivers and streams (particularly chalk streams) have done well this year, with lower levels of abstraction. It's interesting to see that abstraction is becoming an ever more politicised and publicised issue.
It's been dry as a bone in London for the best part of two months. We got some
heavy rain in Dec for about three days but the rest of the time, hardly
anything. As this is the main time for recharging aquifers, reservoirs
etc, it is a concern. The forecast here for Feb is bone dry too. Not
good news for the rest of the year.
I couldn't agree more @Fire I cut my very long lawn yesterday expecting it to be problematical, but once the dew had been burned off by the sun, it mowed a treat as it was so dry. I've had to water pots in Nov/Dec and Jan! - it's crazy. Two raised borders by the patio were bone dry too so I soaked them. Dry weather is nice, but were going to need an enormous amount of rain to make up for what we've missed out on so far this winter - fingers crossed it doesn't all arrive in one go!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000zdqs
I cut my very long lawn yesterday expecting it to be problematical, but once the dew had been burned off by the sun, it mowed a treat as it was so dry.
I've had to water pots in Nov/Dec and Jan! - it's crazy.
Two raised borders by the patio were bone dry too so I soaked them.
Dry weather is nice, but were going to need an enormous amount of rain to make up for what we've missed out on so far this winter - fingers crossed it doesn't all arrive in one go!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.