Image description: Close up shot of dry and barren soil. Image by Markus Spiske / Pexels

The Environment Agency (EA) has urged water companies to do more to safeguard water supplies, and people should start rationing their water use, after the driest start to spring in 69 years. The government has also asked the water CEOs to do more to avert water shortages, and the EA said hosepipe bans are on the horizon if a significant amount of rain does not fall.

In England, March was the driest since 1961 and April received just half its normal rainfall. Farmers have had to start irrigating crops earlier and reservoir levels are either notably low or exceptionally low across the North East and North West of England. Both these regions have seen their driest start to the year since 1929.   

Drought-like conditions affecting farmers

The Guardian reported drought-like conditions are already hitting crops, according to farmers. Members of the National Drought Group, who met on Wednesday to discuss their plans, told the Guardian that there is “no slack” in the system, that water companies are “woefully underprepared” for drought and the plan for many is “simply praying for rain”.  According to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) some crops are already failing, and significant rainfall in early May will be essential to avoid significant yield penalties and further losses. Livestock yields could also be at risk; grazing is not yet short, but farmers point out that fields will need a decent amount of rain to get animals through the summer.

CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, Martin Lines, has called on farmers to champion the benefits they bring to society beyond food, including managing landscapes for greater resilience.

Water sector preparations

Water UK, the industry body, has said water companies are taking action to ensure that as demand increases, they take no more water than they must from rivers and groundwater sources. Preparations have included; proactive messaging to customers, including tv and radio adverts, to reduce water consumption; surge teams of technicians fixing leaks more quickly; and companies changing where they obtain water from and moving it around differently, to relieve pressure on the “hardest hit sources”.

Why is this spring so dry?

The main driving factor driving the dry Spring has been the prevalence of high-pressure. Large areas of high pressure, often extending from the Azores or mainland Europe, have lingered over or near the UK for extended periods since late February. High pressure typically brings settled, dry weather, and while it’s not unusual to see such pressure systems in spring, their persistence this year has been more pronounced than usual.

A key reason for this lies in the behaviour of the jet stream, a fast-flowing air current high in the atmosphere that usually guides weather systems across the Atlantic. This spring, the jet stream has taken a more meandering path, often looping north of the UK. This has allowed high pressure to remain in place for longer stretches, effectively blocking the usual progression of weather fronts.