Low rivers after dry April raises drought fears in central and southern England

One of the driest Aprils on record for central and southern England has left river levels below normal, raising fears of drought in some areas over the summer. The latest UK hydrological survey – which tracks river and groundwater levels – suggests central and southern England and eastern Scotland will experience notably low river flows over the next three months, raising concerns about water shortages if dry weather persists. Other parts of the UK, however, are likely to fare better with normal to above-normal river flows in the north-west and western Scotland. Rainfall in April was 23% less than average according to Met Office figures. In parts of East Anglia and the south-east, rainfall was even less. At Shoeburyness in Essex, April was the driest on record, receiving only 0.6mm of rain in the month – just 2% of the monthly average. Cambridgeshire – which is one of the most water-stressed areas in the UK – and Bedfordshire received less than 5% of average rainfall. Met Office forecasts for the rest of May suggest it is likely to be more of a wet month than a dry one. Farmers in the south and East of England are already concerned about water scarcity. In Cambridgeshire, the environment and green investment committee was told a shortfall in water supply was expected in the future. Cambridge is regularly cited as being the driest city in the UK, receiving about half the national average rainfall, and East of England is classified as being severely water-stressed. …