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Original poster

And the drought goes on.

250 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 30/04/2011 09:32

I think the rainfall situation is starting to get quite concerning. Down here we've had very little rainfall for the past two months and there is nothing substantial that I can see for the coming week (maybe next weekend?.....) It is the same across many central and south western areas too.

see environment agency report

In my own garden a lot of plants are showing signs of lack of water - some already losing leaves! We've had a number of fires locally too. I love this weather but its not how it should be!

OP posts:
ConfessionsOfAnAchingFanjo · 02/05/2011 13:41

Yep I live in Britain now. It doesn't rain for a week and people start complaining! Try living in Australia. water restrictions in the middle of winter.

GapsAGoodUn · 02/05/2011 13:50

Try moving to bloody Australia and having what feels like non-stop fucking rain.

In fact, I moved to Brisbane on 3rd March - a date that I am told is the last day that Hereford had any rain.

Here in 'sunny' Brisbane we have had loads. Over three quarters of an inch in 24 hours at one point (saddo bought a rain gauge as it was raining so heavily emoticon).

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 02/05/2011 13:53

My garden is looking very sad.

I lost plants to the severe winter, and now new things are stuggling because of the dry weather. It's grim out there, grim I tell ya!

I never thought I'd want rain so much.

colditz · 02/05/2011 14:14

May garden is fine, green and quite lush, but it is usually waterlogged and horrible. I think my Lavender is happy.

I do have a metre square of dust dry soil in the middle of my lawn, but that's because the Ds's have been playing with their diggers in it.

Mirage · 02/05/2011 14:27

Oh,MIL lives in Adlington,near Chorley.I didn't know there were fires up there.Thankyou for the link.

starchilli · 02/05/2011 15:08

We're topping our pond up twice a day at the moment, not great as the water butt is empty and so we're having to use tap water. I'd leave it but we've got 6 frogs in there and it's only a small wildlife pond - about 2 feet deep and 3 feet across so there isn't much water to start with.

Paschaelina · 02/05/2011 15:15

Sunny and very windy here and bloody freezing. Going to plant some more runner beans and more lettuce today. Will be watering them from the tap as butt is empty, (luckily not on meter).

mankyscotslass · 02/05/2011 16:06

Quarry Bank Mill has stopped runnig the Water Wheel, the Bollin is far too low. Shock

mankyscotslass · 02/05/2011 16:09

Those photos are incredible, very scary but beautiful too.

mumtoone · 02/05/2011 16:42

Its bone dry in Stockport. We've had two sunny long bank holiday weekends in a row - now that's not normal. I don't remember proper rain for the last 2 months.

throckenholt · 02/05/2011 16:46

The soil is bone dry here in Norfolk - have been working in the garden today and lots of it blows away as soon as you loosen it (strong wind today).

We have had hardly any rain for at least 2 months - one lucky rain storm a couple of weeks ago.

The farmers must be getting twitchy as nothing is growing and lots of bare soil still which is very rare at this time of year.

ShoonaBee · 02/05/2011 17:36

East Herts is drier than a temperance meeting - noticed lots of grass yellowing and dying around our village today which is very strange for this time of year. We've had hornets hovering around the sap in our willow tree too (this didn't happen til late August last year), with one or two already feeling the need to pop through our bedroom window for a visit... could do without them for an extra 3 months of the year.

How many MNers doing a simultaneous rain dance would work dyathink? Hmm

Meglet · 02/05/2011 17:38

It's going to really hit the farmers isn't it. Cold winter and dry spring.

Al0uiseG · 02/05/2011 17:57

North Essex here, no rain for ages, I actually can't remember when! We are usually fairly dry here but April has been exceptional.

lostinafrica · 02/05/2011 18:04

It hasn't rained here since September. Am I cheating by writing from the edge of the Sahara...? :o

HarrietJones · 02/05/2011 18:31

Cumbria reporting in. Lakes still looking ok but we had hosepope bans early last year cos of lakes being low after the October 09 floods Hmm

whomovedmychocolate · 02/05/2011 19:25

Big thunderstorm here last Friday - it was very heavy hail for an hour, lots of localised flooding, but nothing since. I did a happy rain dance outside in it.

How long will it be before someone wanders on and blames Al Quaeda I wonder? Wink

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 02/05/2011 19:26

lostinafrica - that is slightly cheating, but perhaps you have some handy hints for us Grin

Been in Wiltshire today. Was Shock at the brown grass there - astonishing really. Whislt to people from 'abroad' this may seem like not much, for the UK this dry spell is exceptional and close to record breaking.

Those fire pictures are shocking to see. Very well composed though. Good photography!

OP posts:
lubeybooby · 02/05/2011 19:33

My garden is all dusty dry... and yes OYBBK 0mm for weeks and weeks was very disappointing data to say the least!

I have to admit I have also been enjoying getting so much washing dry and not worrying about looking out the window every two minutes to see if it's being drenched yet (as in previous years) but it is getting rather worrying now.

shinyshoes · 02/05/2011 19:34

Essex here as well

Had thunder and lightning last saturday but no rain Hmm

Less than a mile up the road they had the rain

Can't remember the last time we had rain where I live

RustyBear · 02/05/2011 19:37

There's been fires in Swinley forest near Bracknell over the weekend - they've now broken out again, lots of roads closed, I can see the smoke from our windows ( we're about 6 miles away)

JemimaMop · 02/05/2011 20:04

Very little rain here too, and I'm in mid Wales which is practically the wettest place on earth normally. We had a couple of showers on Good Friday and another couple last Wednesday morning, but apart from that nothing. My plants are bone dry (not helped by the fact that it is also very windy) and my water butt is empty.

According to the BBC long range forecast we aren't due any rain until the end of the week.

Chaotica · 02/05/2011 20:06

We had thunder (and I presume lightning) and no rain here on saturday. Nothing here except a shower or two for two months.

mummysfunny · 02/05/2011 20:25

Berkshire here, as we speak we have a raging forest fire locally here...no rain for weeks.....

LadyBeagleEyes · 02/05/2011 20:26

Can I say the photos I linked to were done by a local professional photographer, I tried to take some but they were nothing like this.
Anyway, no more fires in the immediate vicinity but the land's looking very sad.