Submitted by Lucy Barker on
August was unsettled and began with warmer than average temperatures and associated thunderstorms and showers across the country. In contrast, the second half was cooler than average but still unsettled with more organised ‘westerlies’ bringing rainfall - particularly to northern Britain. Rainfall was above average for the UK as a whole; however this masked a stark contrast between above normal rainfall in north-western Britain and below normal rainfall elsewhere. River flows were in the normal range or above in southern and eastern England and north-western UK, and in the normal range or below in central and south-west England. Reservoir stocks in England & Wales fell by 5% but remained above average. Surpluses relative to average were recorded at some northern impoundments (e.g. Vyrnwy and Loch Katrine were 24% and 23% above average, respectively), whilst small deficits (5-10%) were recorded at Bewl, Ardingly, Derwent Valley, Bristol, and Elan Valley. Groundwater levels continued to fall across the UK and were in the normal range to exceptionally high at the majority of sites. The Outlook suggests unsettled conditions are likely to persist through autumn, meaning water resources are likely to remain healthy. The potential for flooding could be of concern. Soil moisture deficits particularly in central and southern areas, suggest there is capacity to attenuate any rainfall, however, there has been some significant rainfall at the start of September in southern areas which may have reduced this capacity.
