UK sees sunniest spring on record as drought declared in northwest England
The UK experienced its sunniest spring since records began in 1910, with 630 hours of sunshine between March 1 and May 27, a significant increase from 377 hours last year.
A drought has been officially declared in North West England by the Environment Agency, due to the low levels of rivers and reservoirs which are currently at less than 60% capacity.
Prior to recent rainfall, North West and North East England had both seen their driest start to a calendar year since 1929, while England had its driest February to April since 1956.
England experienced its wettest 12 months on record between October 2023 and September 2024, leading to widespread flooding before the current dry spell.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed has seized central government control over two major reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire, amid concerns that water demand could exceed supply by the mid-2030s without new reservoirs.
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