
Sunken bridge reappears in dry spell at Llwyn-Onn reservoir
An old stone bridge which was submerged during construction of a reservoir a century ago has made a rare appearance following a record dry spell.The bridge, thought to date from around 1800, has laid beneath the water of Merthyr Tydfil's Llwyn-On reservoir since 1911, according to Coflein, the National Monuments Record of Wales.However, the two-arched structure has re-emerged during other dry periods, including in July 2022 and April 1976.Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said March was the driest since 1944 and, as further warm, dry conditions returned in May, Wales received only 59% of its expected rainfall, making it one of the driest three month periods on record.
NRW has said the majority of Wales' river flows were currently low or exceptionally low, while Welsh Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy have reported lower levels in some reservoirs than would be expected at this time of year.Wales Drought Liaison Group, including NRW, water firms, the Welsh government, Met Office, Public Health Wales, farming unions and local authorities, has stepped up monitoring across the nation amid consumer advice to not waste water.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Thunderstorm warning issued as parts of England and Wales face weekend deluge
Heavy rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms are set to hit parts of England and Wales on Saturday, with forecasters warning of possible disruption. A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued by the Met Office, coming into effect at 9am and lasting until 6pm. Forecasters said the weekend will bring frequent heavy showers – some thundery – with a chance of hail and strong winds. Up to 40mm of rain could fall in just a few hours, which is more than England saw during the entire month of May. Met Office data shows England recorded 32.8mm of rain last month – almost half the usual monthly average. Dan Suri, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'Frequent heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected for much of Saturday, before they fade from the west during the mid-to-late afternoon. 'It's possible that 10-15mm of rain could fall in less than an hour, while some places could see 30-40mm of rain over several hours from successive showers and thunderstorms. 'Frequent lightning, hail and strong, gusty winds are also possible.' He added: 'While brisk winds ensure that most places in the warning area will be hit by showers, not all places will see thunderstorms. 'In this case it's difficult to predict where exactly thunderstorms will hit because they are small and fast changing. 'One analogy we use to picture the complexity of this forecasting challenge is comparing it to boiling a pan of water and having to guess exactly where and when the bubbles will appear. 'We know some will, but only in certain places, and that is why thunderstorms are so hard to predict.' Conditions are expected to improve on Sunday, with a drier day forecast for many, though showers may linger in parts of the north and east.


Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Thunderstorm warning issued across large parts of England and Wales includes risk of intense downpours and frequent lightning
A yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for large parts of England and Wales today. The Met Office warning covers most of southern England, parts of the Midlands and most of South Wales between 9am until 6pm. People in the affected areas are being warned heavy showers and thunderstorms may lead to some disruption to transport services. The UK's weather agency has also warned of frequent lightning, hail and strong gusty winds. Delays to train services are possible and some short-term losses of power are also likely. Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said Saturday morning will start with "plenty of showery rain around". "[There's] the risk of some intense downpours, especially across southern parts where there's likely to be some thunder kicking off, and this brings some hail and some frequent lightning with it as well. "It's across southern parts where we have the greatest risk of some disruption and that's because there's the potential for some torrential downpours with 10 to 15mm perhaps in just an hour or so. "We could see totals building up 30 to 40mm in some places if you get a few downpours one after the other... there could be some localised flooding as well." Mr Burkill also explained that next week could see further downpours. Potentially "some wetter and windier weather" could hit northwestern areas of the UK late on Monday and into Tuesday as a low-pressure system moves in, he said, adding that the position of the weather front remains uncertain. 2:31 The wet weather comes days after the Met Office said the UK had its warmest spring on record - and its driest for 50 years. Provisional figures showed spring temperatures surpassed the long-term average by 1.4C - with a mean temperature of 9.5C (49.1F). That beat the previous warmest spring recorded in 2024. Temperature records were broken in all four nations in the UK - with 1.64C above the long-term average in Northern Ireland, 1.56C above average in Scotland, 1.39C in Wales and 1.35C in England. Forecasters have also predicted the UK is set for a hotter than usual summer - with an increased risk of heatwaves over the next three months. In records dating back to 1884, the Met Office said eight of the 10 warmest springs had occurred since 2000 - and the three warmest had been since 2017, in a sign of the changing climate. Conditions were also incredibly dry this spring, with an average of 128.2mm of rain falling in the UK across March, April and May - the lowest spring total since 1974, which saw 123.2mm.


BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Shaftesbury Lido reopens after major refurbishment
An open air swimming pool is to reopen following a £100,000 refurbishment.A campaign also raised more than £30,000 of the funds needed to replace the filtration system and pool liner of Shaftesbury Lido, in Shaftesbury, lido was shut in March so contractors could install the new, larger water filter pumps to improve the water quality of the pool and reduce the running manager Harriet Green told the BBC: "It was a real logistical challenge to get to where we are but we'll be opening on Saturday." The fundraiser was organised by Friends of Shaftesbury Swimming and Shaftesbury Town Council. Ms Green said: "The people that have supported us have been incredible and we are so, so grateful."We cannot quite get our heads around how much support we've had and how much money people have raised for us."It's been overwhelming, and we couldn't have done this without them, so a huge thank you [to them]."The lido is one of the oldest pools still operational in the country, having been used since about 1890. A yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued by the Met Office for large parts of Green said: "If there's a chance of lightning we would have to clear the pool, and then there's a certain amount of time before we can get people back in... so hopefully the thunderstorms will stay away tomorrow." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.