Monthly bulletins about river, groundwater, reservoir and soil moisture levels might not quicken the pulse, but they might start attracting a wider readership if the persistent dry conditions in much of England and Wales continue. The UK's National Hydrological Monitoring Programme provides a stream of monthly data about our vital plumbing above and below ground - its bulletin for July is due out on this coming Friday. Recent ones have referenced a general shortage of rainfall since last autumn, and a trend of dry spring months in recent years.
The bulletin for June, published early last month, included a sentence which has turned out to foresee what has unfolded in much of England and Wales. It said: "With river flows, groundwater levels and reservoir stocks widely below average, and current outlooks favouring a continuation of this situation, there is a heightened risk of impacts on agriculture, the environment and water supplies in the coming months – hot, dry weather in early July further adds to this prospect."
Reservoir stocks in Wales, it added, were the lowest recorded for the month of June. And all this before the heatwave which smashed records in Wales, England and Scotland. While the benefits of the dry and hot weather for holiday-makers and families with children during the summer break are welcome, the countryside is under stress. As is much of western Europe, notably France - a major food producer.
