River Flows And Reservoir Lows Across UK May Test Or Break All-Time Record Lows As Summer Heat/Drought Start Early
Exceptionally low river flows are predicted across the UK this summer as a drought becomes more likely, scientists have said. An update from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) says dry, warm weather is expected over the next three months, putting pressure on water resources. Hosepipe bans and other forms of water rationing are more likely the longer the country goes without significant rainfall. On Tuesday the Thames Water chief executive, Chris Weston, said he was not ruling out restrictions.
James Wallace, the chief executive of River Action, said: “This crisis was avoidable. But thanks to corporate greed and regulatory complacency, our reservoirs are running dry and our rivers are polluted with sewage. Rather than punish the culprits, customers have been told by government they will be fined £1,000 if they break a hosepipe ban. Yet again, the public will bear the costs of a failing water industry.”
The UKCEH hydrological outlook reads: “Over the period May-July, river flows in most areas are likely to continue to be below normal, with the potential for current low to exceptionally low flows to persist in some catchments.”
Dwindling reservoir levels put waterways at risk as farmers and water companies abstract from rivers when other water sources run low. This can lead to exceptionally low river flows, which may result in large-scale fish deaths and increase the pressure on rivers, particularly if water companies continue to spill sewage into them. River flows are already far below average for the time of year, with almost every catchment in the UK below normal. UKCEH records show that some areas have had the lowest October to March flows since records for those places began in 1958.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/14/dry-weather-and-low-river-flows-make-uk-summer-drought-likely-scientists-say
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