Regions in the UK face the threat of flooding and drought in months ahead.
England especially may face simultaneous droughts and floods this autumn and winter, the Environment Agency has warned.
Four regions of England remain in drought after the driest spring in more than a century and a summer with lower than average rainfall. Despite heavy rainfall in the past month in some areas, millions of people are still banned from using hosepipes.
September has already come in with a lot of wet and windy weather.
Caroline Douglass, of the Environment Agency, said: “It is entirely a possibility, if we don’t get the rainfall in the locations that are already in drought. Heavy rainfall on really dry areas can actually cause flooding because it runs off. Really hard soil can act like concrete. We do need a lot more rain. What we want is nice, steady flowing rain that wets things up really nicely, not flood events.”
