Weather Tides and Water Level Report

September 15, 2006

 

 

Weather Forecast

To obtain a forward forecast log on to:

Met Office Forecast

Ground Water and River Levels Report

The following summarises the weather for the last week and the impact on rivers and ground water levels:

Overview:

September has begun particularly wet in Wales, Lancashire and Cumbria but after a rainy August, must drier in the rest of the country, especially Southern England and East Anglia.

t is finally official. This summer has been a record breaker - not for the rain in August but for the drought in June and July.

Our August weather may have seemed exceptionally cool and wet but in reality it differed very little from historical records. It was the exceptionally dry and hot June and July that made it seem so.

July was officially the warmest on record and in some weeks, hardly any rainfall worth mentioning. Mean river flows decreased week on week and just under half of the sites were below normal.

Groundwater levels fell all summer and in the Thames Region in particular, levels were exceptionally low.

Over 60% of sites are now lower than normal for the time of year.

August has helped but the overall reservoir storage figure for England and Wales decreased by 1% and is now 69%. Storage ranges from 56% in our North West Region to 79% in our Anglian Region.

High tides are expected along the coast this autumn. This won’t make the risk of flooding any higher than normal but there may be a problem if we get a lot of rain at the same time. Make sure you protect yourself against the risk of flood, especially 7, 8, 9 and 10 October along the coast.

Anglers are asked to report
fish deaths to the Environment Agency:

Anglers and the Drought
Reporting Fish Deaths


River and Ground Levels

Mean river flows for August increased at over two-thirds of the indicator sites, but three-quarters still remain below average for the time of year.

Groundwater levels have continued to fall at the majority of updated sites and a third of sites are below normal or lower for the time of year, all in the south-east or East Anglia chalk aquifers.

Rainfall Overview England
River Levels overview for the Month
Ground Levels overview for the Month

River Flow

For the seriously commited angler, river flow data is currently displayed by the National River Flow Archive.

Reservoir Levels

The overall reservoir storage figure for England and Wales is now 70% following increases over the week Storage ranges from 59% in our North West Region to 78% in our Anglian Region. All but four reported reservoirs or reservoir groups are normal or higher for the time of year.

Reservoir Levels overview for the Month

Location of Hose Pipe Bans:

Hose pipe bans are in force in a significant portion of the south east of England and a drought order has been introduced in parts of Surry.

Environmental Impact:

The following is a quote from the Environment Agency:

Low flows and high temperatures have continued to cause problems for fish and other wildlife across England.

  • In Kent, the level of the river Darent dropped, resulting in some stretches of the river becoming low and endangering coarse fish. We have switched on the Darent augmentation scheme that pumps water into the river from several local boreholes. There is still a stretch of river that is prone to drying up and our fisheries staff are on standby to rescue any fish that become stranded and moving them downstream where there is more water.
  • More fish deaths have been reported across the country. Around Birmingham many fish died due to low water levels and high temperatures in several ponds.
  • A tributary of the Thames that supports native crayfish dried up over the weekend. An augmentation scheme was turned on to increase flows and we are investigating what affects this has had on crayfish populations.
  • The flow in the Thames has dropped and is currently at about half of average. We have put notices at locks on the Thames asking for boats to share locks. At the moment these are voluntary but this may change later in the summer.

Environmental impact of drought is starting to show in central England, and can be seen in the lower Trent catchment where river flows and groundwater levels are low. Our staff are monitoring the situation.

Drought Fish Deaths
Report Fish Deaths

Tides

Information about tides and sea levels in the UK can be obtained from the following link. Easy Tide

Understanding the Water Needs of the Environment
How to Help Save Water