Some caution is needed when you directly compare years when droughts or hosepipe bans have been introduced, as some will be the result of cumulative dry conditions over more than one 12 month period.

However, it is interesting to note just how dry this hydrological year has been so far.

The last significant hosepipe ban in the UK was in the record-breaking summer of 2022 when a top temperature of 40. 3C was recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The ban affected nearly 20 million households.

By the start of spring that year, rainfall was standing broadly around average but that was followed by a summer that ranked among the hottest and driest for England.

With this combination of lack of rainfall and hot weather, parts of the UK went into a ‘flash’ drought, external.

Similarly, in 1994/95, after the rain abundant winter, rainfall was above average but it turned much drier in the spring and summer leading to river and reservoir levels quickly depleting.

Consequently most UK areas went into drought by September 1995 which continued throughout the following year.

By comparison this current year has been drier than both these periods.