02/06/2011
Met Office Report Record-Breaking Dry Spring
This spring has been the driest for more than 20 years in some areas, provisional Met Office figures show.
Across England and Wales spring rainfall was 86.9 mm, which is 45% of the long-term average. This is the second driest spring since 1910 and the driest since 1990, which had 85 mm of rain.
East Anglia was the driest district in the UK with just 28.1 mm of rain, only 21% of the long-term average. The lack of rain in East Anglia made it the driest for 101 years, beating the previous record of 51.9 mm in 1996.
South East and central southern England had 49.4 mm of rain, only 30% of the long-term average, beating the previous record of 57.3 mm in 1976.
However, in contrast, parts of north and west Scotland have had a wet season, with Argyllshire recording 577.6 mm of rain, well above the long-term average of 422 mm.
For statistical purposes, the meteorological spring is the combined months of March, April and May and provisional figures are from 1 March to 31 May.
Spring featured high temperatures especially during April, helping to make it one of the warmest springs on record. Mean temperature across the UK was 9.1 ºC, equalling Spring 2007 - the warmest on record.
(BMcN/KMcA)
Across England and Wales spring rainfall was 86.9 mm, which is 45% of the long-term average. This is the second driest spring since 1910 and the driest since 1990, which had 85 mm of rain.
East Anglia was the driest district in the UK with just 28.1 mm of rain, only 21% of the long-term average. The lack of rain in East Anglia made it the driest for 101 years, beating the previous record of 51.9 mm in 1996.
South East and central southern England had 49.4 mm of rain, only 30% of the long-term average, beating the previous record of 57.3 mm in 1976.
However, in contrast, parts of north and west Scotland have had a wet season, with Argyllshire recording 577.6 mm of rain, well above the long-term average of 422 mm.
For statistical purposes, the meteorological spring is the combined months of March, April and May and provisional figures are from 1 March to 31 May.
Spring featured high temperatures especially during April, helping to make it one of the warmest springs on record. Mean temperature across the UK was 9.1 ºC, equalling Spring 2007 - the warmest on record.
(BMcN/KMcA)
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England and Wales have had the driest January for almost ten years, according to the Met Office. The latest figures, published today, showed that some parts of the UK have had less than a quarter of their average rainfall so far this year. In total, England and Wales had 33.
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Hosepipe Bans Enforced Across Drought Areas
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Drought Declared In Anglian Region
Parts of the Anglian region are now officially in a state of drought, Defra and the Environment Agency announced today. Areas in the South West, South East, and Midlands are experiencing near-drought conditions following the driest spring on record in South East and Central Southern England, and the driest right across England and Wales since 1990.