Drought conditions could last into winter

The Met Office and the Environment Agency has said from September through to November there will be wetter and windier conditions.

The weather will be wetter and there could be flooding, but despite this drought conditions may continue into the winter as the rain will not be enough as this year has had record breaking dry very hot weather.

Chief meteorologist Will Lang said, “There is an increased likelihood of westerly weather patterns, which typically bring more rainfall to western and northern parts of the UK, while eastern and southern areas may experience drier conditions than the national average suggests.”

He said it is possible that Autumn could be warmer than normal, he added, “We tend to get that for most seasonal forecasts these days and that’s really a reflection mainly of our warming climate, and how much things have changed just in the last 30 years.”

Caroline Douglass, executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, said, “What we want is nice, steady, flowing rain that wets things up really nicely, not flood events, not a sudden rainfall everywhere.

“But we know it never works out like we’d like … Certainly (it) isn’t an end to a drought yet.”

She was asked if the drought could continue through to winter, Douglass said, “It’s entirely a possibility.

“If we don’t get the rainfall in the locations that are already in drought or prolonged dry weather, then you could have drought status continuing in those particular locations.

“It really is going to be dependent on where the rain lands.”