Midlands water situation report: November 2024 summary
Updated 13 December 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-situation-local-area-reports/midlands-water-situation-report-november-2024-summary
1. Summary
Please see Section 7.3 in the main report for a map detailing the Midlands regional coverage.
Rainfall – During November, the majority of Midlands’ hydrological catchments received normal rainfall totals, ranging from 81% to 133% of the long term average (LTA).
Soil moisture deficit – By the end of November, all hydrological catchments in the Midlands recorded a soil moisture deficit (SMD) of less than or equal to 10mm. This means that soils are at field capacity.
River flows – In November, 10 flow monitoring sites in the Midlands recorded normal monthly mean flows ranging from 74% to 119% of the LTA. Seven flow monitoring sites recorded above normal monthly mean flows and 4 flow monitoring sites recorded notably high monthly mean flows.
Groundwater levels – As of the end of November, 3 monitoring sites recorded exceptionally high groundwater levels compared to the LTA. A further 3 recorded notably high groundwater levels relative to the LTA. Ram Hall and Southards Lane recorded above normal and normal groundwater levels, respectively.
Reservoir stocks – As of the end of November, all of the Midlands’ reservoirs recorded above average storage for the time of year. Since October, storage levels for the majority of reservoirs have increased.
2. Rainfall
During November, the majority of Midlands’ hydrological catchments received normal rainfall totals, ranging from 81% to 133% of the LTA. The Lower Wye and Lower Severn situated in the south of the Midlands were the only catchments receiving above normal rainfall totals of 143% and 148% of the LTA, respectively.
During the last 3 months, the majority of hydrological catchments in the Midlands have received exceptionally high rainfall totals ranging from 164% to 204% of the LTA. These were the Shropshire Plains, Mid Severn, Lower Wye, Lower Severn, Avon and Soar hydrological catchments. Three hydrological catchments, the Lower Trent, Tame and Upper Trent, received notably high rainfall totals compared to the LTA. A further 2 hydrological catchments, the Derwent and Dove, received above normal rainfall totals compared to the LTA. The remaining hydrological catchment, Welsh Mountains, received a normal rainfall total of 109% relative to the LTA.
Over the last 6 months, hydrological catchments in the Midlands received a variable amount of rainfall relative to the LTA. Six hydrological catchments received normal rainfall totals ranging from 101% and 120% of the LTA. These were the:
- Upper Trent
- Dove
- Derwent
- Tame
- Lower Trent
- Welsh Mountains
Five hydrological catchments received above normal rainfall totals compared to the LTA. These were the Soar, Avon, Shropshire Plains, Mid Severn and Lower Wye hydrological catchments. The remaining Lower Severn hydrological catchment received a notably high rainfall total of 143% of the LTA.
Over the last 12 months, the majority of Midlands’ hydrological catchments received exceptionally high rainfall totals relative to the LTA. Only 3 hydrological catchments received notably high rainfall totals ranging from 123% to 132% of the LTA. These were the Welsh Mountains in the west of the Midlands and the Derwent and Lower Trent in the north-east of the Midlands.
3. Soil moisture deficit and recharge
By the end of November, all hydrological catchments in the Midlands recorded a SMD of less than or equal to 10mm. This means that soils are at field capacity. Compared to October, the majority of hydrological catchments in the Midlands remained at field capacity resulting in no change in SMD. The only exception is the Lower Trent hydrological catchment which became wetter since October meaning SMD decreased.
Compared to the LTA, the majority of hydrological catchments in November are wetter than expected for the time of year. The only exception is the Welsh Mountains hydrological catchment in the west of the Midlands which has a -5mm to 5mm difference from the LTA. This means that SMD is as expected in this area for the time of year.
4. River flows
In November, 10 flow monitoring sites in the Midlands recorded normal monthly mean flows ranging from 74% to 119% of the LTA. These were:
- Auckley
- Worksop
- North Muskham
- Whatstandwell
- Derby St Marys
- Marston on Dove
- Clifton Hall
- Llanyblodwel
- Bewdley
- Redbrook
Seven flow monitoring sites recorded above normal monthly mean flows ranging from 124% to 186% of the LTA. These were:
- Great Bridgeford
- Yoxall
- Kegworth
- Tenbury
- Butts Bridge
- Evesham
- Deerhurst
A further 4 flow monitoring sites recorded notably high monthly mean flows ranging from 166% to 320% of the LTA. These were:
- Walcot in the north-west
- Stareton in the south-east
- Wedderburn Bridge and Ebley Mill in the south of the Midlands
5. Groundwater levels
As of the end of November, groundwater levels recorded at monitoring sites were normal or above compared to the LTA. Three monitoring sites, Coxmoor, Weir Farm and Anthony’s Cross, recorded exceptionally high groundwater levels compared to the LTA. Crossley Hill and Rider Point in the north of the Midlands and Four Crosses in central Midlands recorded notably high groundwater levels relative to the LTA. Ram Hall in south-east of the Midlands and Southards Lane in the north of the Midlands recorded above normal and normal groundwater levels, respectively.
6. Reservoir stocks
As of the end of November, all of the Midlands’ reservoirs recorded above average storage for the time of year.
Since October, storage levels for the majority of reservoirs have increased. The Carsington and Ogston reservoir group recorded a decrease in storage levels and the Dove reservoir storage levels remained the same since October.
7. River Severn operations
The River Severn is regulated to maintain a minimum flow at Bewdley gauging station. This ensures sufficient water flows along the river to support environmental and water supply requirements. Regulation is instigated when flows drop below a threshold. The 2024 regulation season has seen only 7 days of river regulation, which commenced on 28 June 2024. The last day of regulation was 9 September 2024.
8. River Wye operations
For all of November, storage in the Elan Valley reservoirs was above the release control line and the flows at Redbrook gauging station were above the regulation threshold. Therefore, regulation releases were not in operation.
For the majority of November, environmental releases were still in operation. However, towards the end of the month, the intense rainfall from Storm Bert resulted in high river flows with flood alerts issued on the Wye. Therefore, during that time, no environmental releases were requested.
As of 5 December 2024, storage in the Elan Valley reservoirs is above the release control line and the flows at Redbrook gauging station are above the regulation threshold. Therefore, regulation releases are not in operation.
9. Water abstraction restrictions
As of 3 December 2024, there are 4 restrictions in place across the Midlands affecting 5 licences.
Author: Midlands Hydrology, midlandshydrology@environment-agency.gov.uk
Contact Details: 03708 506 506
Disclaimer: All data are provisional and may be subject to revision. The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those of the Environment Agency. Its officers, servants or agents accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from the interpretation or use of the information, or reliance upon views contained in this report.