"jbm" wrote in message ...
Anyone see the pictures of Pitsford Reservoir on the BBC 6 o'clock news
this evening? Pretty dire with the water that low. The reporter said that
it should be at least 6 feet higher than it is. What he didn't mention was
that it is only that high because Anglian Water are pumping water from the
River Nene as fast as they are allowed to before the extraction licence
runs out at the end of the month. Current level = 65%, an increase of 25%
a month ago. No records are being broken around here though. 12.3mm
yesterday, 82.5mm for the month.

Since the hose pipe ban in the area came into force on the 5th April, it
has rained for 18 days out of the 21. And a new record flashed up on
Cumulus this evening, since I started using it a couple of years ago.
Longest wet spell = 9 days.

I have to assume Pitsford Weather Station has a problem. It is showing
yesterday's rain as 0.01mm. Surely persistent rain like we had today can't
be THAT localised (3 miles). I'm showing 186mm for the year so far. Their
figure 157mm. A couple of weeks ago I was within a couple of millimetres
of them.

jim, Northampton


Sounds as though their water guage is blocked. It might be worth reporting
that to them. I believe Martin Rowley noticed a similar anomaly with the
Hurn rain guage, and reported it.

Cheers, Alastair.