Leading Berkshire weather expert warns of possible water restrictions
Dr Stephen Burt from the university of Reading says the dry winter could lead to a critical situation later this year
Last updated 17th Feb 2023
Water restrictions could once again be enforced in the UK this summer if rainfall continues at its current sparse rate.
Speaking on Thursday Dr Stephen Burt, from the University of Reading’s meteorology department, said:
“This morning's slight rain and drizzle brought only the second instance of measurable precipitation in more than four weeks. The last time we had even 1 mm of rainfall was on 15 January — more than a month ago.
“Precipitation this winter has been remarkable. It’s either been 'on' or 'off', with nothing in between. The first half of December was almost rainless, the driest period on University records dating back to 1908. The second half of December and the first half of January were very wet, with 136 mm of rainfall recorded (which is twice the normal rate for this period).
“Rain fell on 29 consecutive days from 18 December. Since then - it's rained only twice. On both occasions, including this morning, it was very light rainfall.
“The succession of very wet days in late December and early January went a long way towards filling the reservoirs after last summer's drought, but a continuation of this prolonged dry spell will increase the risk of water restrictions being reinstated come spring and summer. This could mean hosepipe bans in the coming months.”