A Century Of UK/NI Rainfall (part 1)

A butcher's at drought and deluge over the last 100 years. Are things getting worse, and what does 'worse' even mean?

A few days ago I drove Mrs Dee down through the verdant county of Somerset, the land of dragons, cider and tractors (except we call them trakkurs down here). Wishing to avoid the caravan-laden M5 we decided to meander using the old trunk roads that took us through the sprawls of Highbridge, Bridgwater, North Petherton and Taunton. What struck us was the sheer scale of new residential build on the outskirts of these towns. We’re talking thousands and thousands, all of which will require a water supply.

With no plans for new reservoir and water treatment build evident in the local press (more importantly in the pub talk amongst farmers) I wondered how that additional demand would be met, and figured that water shortages might be a feature of UK life in the next decade regardless of our infamously wet weather. No doubt they’ll blame it on climate change.

So let’s get ahead of the alarmist UK press who are at this very moment poised to strike the public down with fearful headlines of hosep…