The driest winter in 20 years has led water companies to advise those living in southern England to save water where they can to avoid restrictions on their water usage later in the summer.
Less than half the average rainfall was recorded in April, which followed the driest October to March period since 1995-96, with the Met Office noting that there is unlikely to be substantial rainfall in May to help alleviate the situation.
Grahame Madge, spokesman for the Met Office, commented: “After some rainfall in the middle of May, it looks likely drier than average conditions will return towards the end of May.”
With festival season approaching, a lack of rainfall will probably be welcome news for revellers, but those providing water for events may need to consider potential shortages when making arrangements for large-scale events.
The Environment Agency added that while there are no shortages reported at present, it is keeping an eye on the situation to ensure that any impact on people or the environment is minimised.
A host of festivals are planned for the south of England this summer, including Camp Bestival and Bestival in Lulworth, Dorset in July and September respectively, Boardmasters in Newquay in August, and Glastonbury in Somerset in June.
We Are FSTVL in Essex at the end of May, Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in early July, and The Great Escape in Brighton, also in May, are just a few of the other events that music-lovers might be looking at in the south of the country this year.
