Two reports released by the Environment Agency at the end of last week show that dry conditions persist throughout much of the UK. Unless prolonged wet weather replenishes aquifers, river flows and soil moisture levels in parts of the country, there is still the risk of a drought in 2012.

EA data for the first weeks of January show that Southern and Eastern parts of England remain dry, with increasing soil moisture deficits reported in all but the Midlands region. Despite a wet December, River flows have been low for the time of year at the majority of indicator sites in Eastern and South-East England since the beginning of the year, although elsewhere flows are normal. However, reservoirs appear to be recharging well, with a few exceptions in the South East

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The EA also said the number of winter abstraction restrictions remaining is “unusual” for the time of year. There are 38 licences restricted in the Midlands region, 110 in the Anglian region and around 175 licences in the South East region. The numbers of licences restricted change on a weekly basis with changes in rainfall. The EA said it is working with the NFU and would contact agricultural license holders affected by restrictions on a daily basis to let them know when they can resume taking water.

Although rainfall towards the end of 2011 led to some recovery in Central and Eastern England, the outlook for the next few weeks remains dry for most of the country; the agency said that there remains a split across England and that, “We need sustained above average rainfall across the affected areas of England before the end of winter to ensure effective groundwater recharge.”

It also warned that, as further recovery is needed and soil moisture levels remain dry for the time of year, Eastern and South Eastern regions in particular remain at high risk of drought later this year. In December, Defra urged farmers to step up leak detection, plan ahead for irrigation needs and look into developping more water storage, as dry weather could become increasingly common in the UK.

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