England and Wales had their driest March in more than 60 years, with some parts of Cambridgeshire having less than 2mm – less than is normally recorded in the Sahara desert at this time of year – according to figures released by the government's centre for hydrology and ecology (CEH).
Experts warned that the next few weeks could be critical for watercompanies, farmers and wildlife, and could determine whether there are hosepipe bans later in the year.
The exceptionally dry month saw reservoir levels declining sharply just when they should be replenishing ahead of the summer months, with some rivers flowing at less than one-third of their usual volume. In Wales and the south-west of England, the rivers Yscir, Dee and Taw each registered their second lowest March runoff on record.
