North East water situation: April 2024 summary
Updated 15 May 2024
Applies to England
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1. Summary
Cumulative 12 month rainfall totals for the North East area show that the last 12 months were the second wettest since records began in 1871. River flows have increased at all indicator sites with the highest mean monthly flows on record for April recorded at Heaton Mill on the River Till and Haydon Bridge on the South Tyne. Groundwater levels have also seen an increase this month across the whole area, with the highest levels on record for April recorded at Aycliffe NRA2 on the Skerne Magnesian Limestone and Royalty Observation on the Till Fell Sandstone. Reservoir stocks remain very healthy for this time of year.
2. Rainfall
April saw continuous rainfall throughout the month with most catchments recording rainfall for more than half of the month. Monthly rainfall totals were classed as above the Long Term Average (LTA) across all catchments in the North East. Rainfall totals in the Tyne catchment were classed as exceptionally high and recorded 193% of the LTA. All the other catchments in the area recorded totals in the notably high range with monthly totals ranging from 172% of the LTA in the Wear catchment to 204% of the LTA in the Tweed catchment.
Analysis of the April rainfall totals for the North East ranks April 2024 as the 10th wettest April on record since 1871, the wettest since 2012. Cumulative nine month totals show that the last nine months were the wettest on record since 1871. The 10 and 11 month cumulative totals were also the wettest on record since 1871 and 12 month cumulative totals second wettest on record.
3. Soil moisture deficit and recharge
Soils remain saturated throughout the North East and were classified as wet across the area with the exception of the Tweed catchment which is classed as normal for April.
4. River flows
Monthly mean river flows have increased this month at all indicator sites. Monthly mean flows ranged from 176% of the LTA at Middleton in Teesdale on the River Tees to 267% of the LTA at Heaton Mill on the River Till. This is the highest monthly mean flow recorded at Heaton Mill since records began in 2001. Haydon Bridge on the South Tyne also recorded its highest monthly mean flow since records began in 1974 at 226% of the LTA.
Analysis of the daily mean flows shows that flows were in the above normal or notably high ranges at the start of the month. Daily mean flows increased at all indicator sites over the first 10 days of April following prolonged rainfall across the area. Most sites recorded exceptionally high flows during this period. During the second half of the month daily mean flows remained high following more prolonged rainfall. Towards the end of the month flows generally decreased to fall within the above normal or normal range at the end of April.
5. Groundwater levels
Groundwater levels have increased at all reporting boreholes this month. These increases reflect the well above average rainfall experienced over the last 12 months, as well as the high rainfall totals recorded in April. The highest groundwater level on record for April have been recorded this month at Aycliffe NRA2 on the Skerne Magnesian Limestone and Royalty Observation on the Till Fell Sandstone. Groundwater levels at West Hall Farm on the Wear Magnesian Limestone also fall within the exceptionally high range. Townlaw in the Fell sandstone remains at below normal levels. This borehole is confined and has a small recharge area hence a slower response to the wetter weather.
6. Reservoir stocks
All the reservoirs across the area have seen a slight decrease in stock level this month. Overall, reservoir stocks remain very healthy for the time of year.
| Reservoir or reservoir group | Percentage of current stocks | Percentage of previous month stocks |
|---|---|---|
| Kielder | 92.6 | 94.6 |
| North Tynedale group | 89.8 | 91.3 |
| Derwent | 98.1 | 99.1 |
| Durham group | 89.8 | 91.1 |
| Lune and Balder group | 95.4 | 95.7 |
| Cow Green | 99.7 | 100 |
Author: GWHCL North East, hydrology.northeast@environment-agency.gov.uk
All data are provisional and may be subject to revision. The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those of the Environment Agency. Its officers, servants or agents accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from the interpretation or use of the information, or reliance upon views contained in this report.