Riverflow

With above average rainfall in the south-east in May after a prolonged period of below average rainfall, the outlook is for normal to above normal river flows across the UK for June. However, this period is expected to be short-lived, and river flows over June-July-August as a whole are likely to return to being normal to below normal.  Groundwater levels in the south-east of England are likely to be below normal to notably low over the next one to three months, whilst levels in southern Scotland are likely to be above normal or higher over this period.

April was dominated by anticyclonic conditions and was, for most of the UK, largely dry, warm and sunny; the sunniest April on record (from 1929) for the UK. The fine spring weather was bookended by cool and unsettled spells in the first and final weeks, and north-western areas experienced a stormy interlude mid-month. Overall however, April was warmer than average and saw some very warm spells. With climbing evapotranspiration rates, and much of southern Britain receiving little appreciable rainfall, soil moisture deficits (SMDs) increased markedly above the late April average.