Warning as UK’s drought may continue into winter

DROUGHT conditions could continue into winter despite a good chance of a wetter-than-usual autumn and flood risks increasing, officials say.

- REBECCA SPEARE-COLE

The Met Office and England’s Environment Agency said the current outlook for September, October and November shows a higher likelihood for wetter and windier conditions compared to the 30-year-average.

But they warned this rain may still not be enough to reverse all the effects of this year’s record-breaking dry and hot weather, which led several regions to declare drought status and introduce hosepipe bans over the summer.

It also means areas of the UK could feasibly experience both drought and flooding at the same time as the UK storm season kicks off and flood risks increase.

The warning comes as the UK Government's Flood Resilience Taskforce is set to meet at the Met Office's headquarters in Exeter today to discuss preparation for possible flooding in the coming months and recent progress made on defences. The taskforce, which was set up last September to bolster the country’s response to increasingly extreme weather, has been working on measures such as warning systems, real-time data and bolstering flood defences.