After the drought, get used to the deluge

WETTER THAN AVERAGE AUTUMN IS ON THE CARDS

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor

WATER experts have warned that significant rainfall is needed over coming months if the UK’s reservoirs are to be replenished. Deluges forecast to hit Wales this week should help.

In its latest monthly report, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) said Wales’ reservoirs were currently at 54% capacity, around 25% less than usual for the time of year. By the end of August, river flows in some Welsh catchments were similar to the drought years of 2022, 1995 and 1976, it said.

Since then, the weather has done its best to catch up. Flash floods were reported in Wales on Sunday (September 14) with areas like Eryri seeing 16-32mm of rain fall in the space of an hour.

Six flood alerts are now in place in North Wales (in the Dyfi, Conwy, Upper Dee, Vyrnwy and the Mawddach and Wnion catchments, plus the River Conwy at Gwydir Road).

Latest Met Office forecasts show there is a higher-than-normal chance that rainfall between September and November will be above average for the time of year. Judging by current weather maps, there's plenty of the wet stuff on the immediate horizon.