Hosepipe Ban due to lowest rainfall for 'records began'

[Spunagain]

I heard on the radio this moring that there is a hosepipe ban in the northwest as it was the dryest in since records began in 1929.

Link to bbc

So how come the met office has records going back to 1911?

Link to Eskdalemuir record

I have not had a chance to look at the data but surely its a bit fishy?

Any thoughts or is Eskdalemuir not the North west?

Regards
Spunagain

[Eric Mc]

Are you concerned that the records go back that far or are you concerned that you thought they should go back even further?

[PintOfKittens]

I think you find "Records" is actually some old guy who works there, who will spin off a great story (if you give him a worthers original) on how it was nearly this low, but not as low as this.

[Eric Mc]

Proper, consisten scientific recording of weather probably dates back as far as the 1850s or so. 1911 seems quite late, to be honest.

[10 Pence Short]

I live in Cumbria. I don't think I've never known such a dry winter and spring; it was cold and dry for a very long time from November to February and there has been virtually no rain since then. I visited Haweswater and Thirlmere a couple of weeks ago and was amazed at how low both were.

They had the MP for Kendal on Radio 5 this morning talking utter twaddle about it being the fault of United Utilities and how they could use all the local 'man made' tarns for water. The blithering Liberal idiot doesn't realise that A) This isn't possible as most aren't plugged into the network, B) And if they did it would be a environmental disaster and C), they are mostly not man made. He must have been asleep during his Geography lessons.

The only 'person' to blame is the weather. If it doesn't rain, there isn't as much water.

[JagLover]

10 Pence Short said:

They had the MP for Kendal on Radio 5 this morning talking utter twaddle about it being the fault of United Utilities and how they could use all the local 'man made' tarns for water. The blithering Liberal idiot doesn't realise that A) This isn't possible as most aren't plugged into the network, B) And if they did it would be a environmental disaster and C), they are mostly not man made. He must have been asleep during his Geography lessons.

The only 'person' to blame is the weather. If it doesn't rain, there isn't as much water.

You usually have populist idiots saying it is the fault of the water companies.

If you want a system that can cope with a once in a century drought, then water bills will have to go up the other 99 years.

[Spunagain]

Eskdalemuir is in Scotland but it is North West-ish.

That's my Easy Angular moment!

My concern is why say records began later than relevant records actually date from. It just makes people like me suspcious!

[.:ian:.]

Spunagain said:

Link to Eskdalemuir record

I have not had a chance to look at the data but surely its a bit fishy?

Any thoughts or is Eskdalemuir not the North west?

Quick bit of perl reveals, for that data, for the first 5 months of each year (2010 only has 5 months worth..)

1929 290.6
1953 324.5
1956 356.8
1919 383.1
2010 384.9

[The Black Flash]

Blimey, the "common sense" brigade got to this thread before the ranting "it must be someone's fault" brigade.
How refreshing.

[turbobloke]

Spunagain said:

Eskdalemuir is in Scotland but it is North West-ish.

That's my Easy Angular moment!

My concern is why say records began later than relevant records actually date from. It just makes people like me suspcious!

Particularly if they also say it's worse than previously thought and if a tipping point arrives more water will be spilt.

[JuniorD]

10 Pence Short said:

I live in Cumbria...

Has all the mess from the November floods in Cockermouth and Workington been cleared up? Seemed pretty devastating at the time, though the media have seemed to have moved on from it.

Edited by JuniorD on Friday 9th July 10:19

[zollburgers]

Spunagain said:

Eskdalemuir is in Scotland but it is North West-ish.

That's my Easy Angular moment!

My concern is why say records began later than relevant records actually date from. It just makes people like me suspcious!

Doesn't it just mean records for that Northwest region began in 1929 and that record you have found for Scotland(!) began earlier.

Edited by zollburgers on Friday 9th July 10:20

[TEKNOPUG]

According to their own figures, 462 million litres of water leak every day from their 40,000 km of pipes......how much water is currently being used by people with hosepipes each day?

[.:ian:.]

If I do the same for Newton Rigg, 2010 is indeed the lowest rainfall, but the records only go back the 1960s..

2010 201.6
1964 213.6
1980 235.5
1985 245.4
1973 247.7

Bradford shows similar results to Eskdalemuir

1929 146.1
1911 200.8
1953 208.4
2009 224.6
2010 226.1

Lies, Damn Lies and (weather) Statistics

[Sheets Tabuer]

Could it be the date the weather station was added to the area.

[Prof Beard]

JagLover said:

You usually have populist idiots saying it is the fault of the water companies.

Well done JL - and here ARE the populist idiots, bang on cue:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1291435/En...

("Prof Beard quote the "Wail"" - could be a first - or the end of things as we know it...)

Edited by Prof Beard on Friday 9th July 11:02

[turbobloke]

Prof Beard said:

JagLover said:

You usually have populist idiots saying it is the fault of the water companies.

Well done JL - and here ARE the populist idiots, bang on cue:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1291435/En...

("Prof Beards quote the "Wail" - could be a first - or the end of things as we know it...)

Impressive determination there Prof. You can take the clothespeg off your nose now

[ninja-lewis]

Possibly using their own records (from the old Water Boards) at reservoirs rather than Met Office records? Coincidently Haweswater began construction in 1929.

[10 Pence Short]

JuniorD said:

10 Pence Short said:

I live in Cumbria...

Has all the mess from the November floods in Cockermouth and Workington been cleared up? Seemed pretty devastating at the time, though the media have seemed to have moved on from it.

Edited by JuniorD on Friday 9th July 10:19

I don't live in West Cumbria, but by all accounts things are moving on, as they do. It's a very steep and short run to the sea from the Lakeland Fells so there was fast flowing, catastrophic flooding but it only lasts for a short time. That high impact rain didn't really do a massive amount for filling the reservoirs for the summer, either.

Over the past few years the winters (and summers) have been mild and wet in Cumbria, whereas this year the winter was very cold- snow was lying on the hills for about 4 months and the melt from snow doesn't actually provide that much water compared to rainfall.

[Prof Beard]

turbobloke said:

[

Impressive determination there Prof. You can take the clothespeg off your nose now

Thanks TB - it was hurting...