02 May 2011 Hosepipe ban warning as more dry weather is forecast Gardeners are being warned to prepare for hosepipe bans this summer after one of the driest Springs on record threatened to disrupt water supplies. Weeks of unseasonably warm weather and little rainfall has seen reservoir levels drop steadily in some areas.
While supplies are not under immediate threat, it is feared a prolonged spell of dry weather in the coming weeks and another hot summer will force the Environment Agency to introduce hosepipe bans in the worst affected areas.
England and Wales experienced the driest March for half a century, receiving just 21mm of rain a third of what is usually expected.
The dry spell continued last month, with temperatures peaking at 82F (27.8C) making it the hottest April for 350 years.
Apart from some significant rainfall in the Western Highlands, the Lake District and Snowdonia in the early part of the month, the rest of Britain was unusually dry, with little sign of the much anticipated April showers. For the full news article and to be taken to the website, click here |