Another week with very little rain; just under 7mm. This meant that water levels in the aquifer rose sharply at the start of the period in delayed response to rain the week before, but since Wednesday, the level in the aquifer has been falling very, very slowly. From a peak of 99.58 metres AOD on Tuesday, we now have a level of 99.55 metres AOD. Water levels in the River Till also rose and fell slightly.
It’s going to be another two weeks before we hit the point in the season where the average water level is greatest, but it is still too early to say if we have peaked this year, or whether the level will rise yet again. The Environment Agency Flood Warnings for this area remain in force for a while longer and the cold spell is likely to delay the onset of Spring.
The coming week will be rather cold with the prospect of some wintry showers blowing in from the east and worsening towards the weekend. There doesn’t seem a prospect of more heavy precipitation in the short term. However, the easterly airflow will return to the usual Atlantic conveyor system, with wetter weather moving in from the southwest, in the third week of the month. The last week of February and into March are likely to see much more of the same; our flood season may yet hold a few surprises.