Heavy downpours are forecast for Wales, Scotland and the South of England over the next week, though water companies and the Environment Agency have said that a month’s worth of rain falling in the space of a few days in Scotland and drought regions in Southern England could lead to flash flooding.

Ground water levels and river flows are extremely low in many parts of the country, with a hose pipe ban in force in the South East, where many counties have been in drought since last year.

The heavy rainfall in Scotland, the North and the areas of the South West this week could lead to floods, though drought conditions will persist. The Environment Agency has issued eight flood warnings in the South west and a series of other lower level flood warnings throughout the South

Flooding will be caused by heavy rainfall running off ground before it can percolate through and recharge groundwater; the ‘recharge window,’ the time between autumn and the start of spring when underground aquifers can recharge most efficiently, closed this year without sufficient rainfall in many parts of the country.

“The rain we’ve had over the last few weeks is really helpful; farmers may not need to irrigate their crops so much. but the bottom line is that we’re coming out of the driest eighteen months in a century and it will take more than a few wet weeks to get us back to where we would like to be for this time of year,” said Ciaran Nelson, of Anglian Water.

Water companies and government have asked households and businesses to continue their efforts to save water, as the effects of drought will be felt throughout the South and Midlands until Christmas at the earliest.

Although the rain is forecast to replenish crops and alleviate the effects of drought for farmers, experts have said that only prolonged, relatively light rainfall will benefit drought stricken areas as heavier rainfall will lead to runoff and potentially flooding.

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