Hosepipe ban is a long way off, say water chiefs

Worcestershire had just four fifths of the average rainfall it usually gets in the first six months of the year.

And while three days of summer storms in June helped push the rain measurements up, it has done little to raise the water table.

But David Essex, Severn Trent Water’s strategy manager, said: “A hosepipe ban is a long way off yet, but we must have plans in place to ensure we can cope with supply and demand.”

He did urge people not to use water unnecessarily and conserve where they could.

In more good news for sun worshippers, Paul Damari, weather expert, said the hot, dry weather is likely to continue into August.

Temperatures will stay at about 22/24C (72/75F) this week, rising to 26C (79F) by Friday, while there will be less humidity around.

“The water table is low with the sun taking moisture up out of the soil,” said Mr Damari.

“And with the weather pattern we’ve got at the moment there’s no sign of it changing.”

In January to June the county had 295mm of rainfall against the average of 352mm.

That figure included the 59mm of rain which fell during a three-day deluge from Sunday, June 6 to the Tuesday.

“From April to June we had 60 dry days out of the 91,” added Mr Damari.

He said some growers with root crops like potatoes will need to keep irrigating their fields, particularly with some unwelcome gusts drying out crops courtesy of a low pressure system in Scotland.

However, farmers and growers aren’t too worried as the warm weather has made a welcome change to several years of wash-out summers.

John Bennett, of Bennett’s dairy farm at Lower Wick, said “it’s the best we’ve had for several years.”

With 180 dairy cows, the sun has ripened plenty of feed to keep the herd well fed as Mr Bennett explained.

“We’ve have to make about 3,000 tonnes of silage (correct)and it’s gone ripe this year,” he said.

“What we don’t want is the grass to stop growing - but so far so good.”

Meanwhile, Colin Broomfield of Broomfields Fruit Farm at Holt Heath said the weather was proving a mixed bag for orchard owners.

“Strawberries and rasberries are enjoying it as the extra warmth and sunshine means they’ll have more sugar,” he said.

“But the apples are getting a little bit dry and we’ve had to irrigate.

“Saying that you’ll never find a farmer completely happy with the weather he’s got.”

Mr Essex did urge residents to do their bit conserving water saying “we need to make sure we are careful with what we use, particularly with hosepipes and sprinklers.

“They can use up to 1,000 litres of water (220 gallons) per hour - more than a family of four use in a day.”