Ten years ago England was drenched by prolonged downpours that led to the three months ending 30 November being the wettest autumn since records began in 1697. There was a respite until February, and then the rains returned. Southern counties were particularly affected; some places had three times as much rain as average. Substantial flooding followed in Kent and Sussex.
One result of this extraordinarily prolonged wet period, which broke records both for intensity and volume of rain, was that the aquifers which supply southern England's rivers and drinking water overflowed. Springs that had long disappeared, some built over by unwise developers, flowed freely and caused delight or despair depending on where they suddenly came to life. The Thames became much longer when its traditional source, a spring just south-west of Cirencester, produced a vigorous stream after being dry for years. Other forgotten springs upstream joined the flow.
By 2005, after a prolonged dry period, those springs had dried up. Rainfall had been so low for two winters that 12 million people in the south endured water restrictions, mostly hosepipe bans. Unusual short-term extremes do nothing to alter the climate change prediction that the UK will have wetter winters, but they do make planning for water needs difficult. Hydrologists say that to top up the aquifers for 2011, southern England could do with prolonged rainfall between now and Christmas.