Britain is in danger of wilting with ‘little to no rain’ through May threatening one of the driest springs on record.
A potential summer drought threatens farmers and gardeners sparking early fears of hosepipe bans.
After a near-record dry March and the sunniest April, forecasters predict another fortnight of almost rainless skies.
Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “The outlook has very little in the way of rain through the next two weeks, and this could have consequences later in the summer.
After a near-record dry March and the sunniest April, forecasters predict another fortnight of almost rainless skies
PA
“It is at this time of year that we see persistent rainfall restore reservoirs and groundwater reserves, but we have seen very little so far.
“If we get a hot, dry summer, we start to move into the territory of droughts, and this is when hosepipe restrictions come into play.”
Spring kicked off to a dry start with March recording 43 per cent of its average rainfall, according to the Met Office.
England saw its sixth driest March on record as Wales recorded its fourth driest, while Scotland received half its average rainfall.
Dry weather was the result of high pressure wedged over the UK, similar to the driver of last week’s hot weather.
High pressure is forecast to stay in control through much of the rest of spring, meaning more clear, dry skies.
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Spring kicked off to a dry start with March recording 43 per cent of its average rainfall, according to the Met Office
MET OFFICE
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “We are back to very little rainfall and looking further ahead, there is little sign of that changing.
“That is great news if you have outdoor plans, but this is potentially a concern because so far this spring we have seen less than half the amount of rainfall that we typically see at this point, and if we carry on along this theme then it would be one of the driest springs on record.
“Things don’t look promising at all for farmers and growers for the first two weeks of May.”
Although weather models typically vary on their predictions for temperature and rainfall, they all come together on this pattern, he explained.
He said: “All the outputs are tending to indicate drier than average weather. It is not looking like any significant rain is expected for the next couple of weeks. It is staying very dry for the first two weeks.”
Temperatures this week will hover well below the scorching highs from before the Bank Holiday.
High pressure keeps Britain dry
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Southern Britain will nudge the mid-teens while Scotland and the north will touch single figures overnight.
High pressure will keep Britain largely rain-free with warmth only coming in bursts of sunshine.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “Temperatures are still close to average and feeling warm where we have some sunny spells in the west, and it will be staying largely dry.
“Through the week, high pressure is likely to stay in charge, and we are confident that high pressure will hang on through the week bringing a lot of dry weather.”
Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather’s lead international forecaster, added: “High pressure will lead to another dry and bright week for many through the first few days of May.”
