Severe drought declared and hosepipe bans in force

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentHere is the one-sentence version: parts of southern England are now in severe drought, and about thirty million people are under a hosepipe ban.

2. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThirty million. In England. The country that apologises to the weather.

3. 

   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThat is how the BBC reports it. Severe drought has been declared, and the hosepipe bans are already in force across those areas.

4. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo what does a ban actually stop? Asking for a man who loves his lawn.

5. 

   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentMostly outdoor use. Hosepipes are the headline, and it is about everyday water use for households, not whether your tap runs.

6. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorNot yet, you mean.

7. 

   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentI mean what the report says. Beyond that, how long this lasts is not clear yet.

8. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorHow did a rainy island run dry? Somebody must have left a tap on.

9. 

   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe data we have does not give a cause.

10. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentWhat I can say is that a drought is a shortfall over time, not one dry week.

11. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo it's slow. Lovely. The slow ones are the ones that sneak up on you when nobody's paying attention.

12. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentNow, who is affected? About thirty million people, so households, gardeners, and anyone who washes a car on Sundays.

13. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThe Sunday car wash. A proud tradition, finished.

14. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentPaused, not finished. And if you are in an affected area, your water company is where to check the exact rules.

15. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorHere's my worry. A ban needs enforcing, and enforcing means neighbours watching neighbours over the fence.

16. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAnd that is a fair point about how these rules work in practice. Some will follow them gladly, others will grumble about their roses.

17. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorRoses. Dying in public.

18. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThere are two sides here. Saving water now protects supply later, but bans land hardest on people who garden for food or joy.

19. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo the watering can becomes contraband, and a bucket is a black market.

20. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentBuckets are allowed in many bans, but check locally. What to watch next is whether more areas get added and whether rain actually arrives.

21. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorOr whether the whole thing just keeps spreading north.

22. 

    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentSo the short version, now that you are awake: severe drought in southern England, thirty million people on hosepipe bans, and no end date yet.

23. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorRight. And I've just realised this might actually change how I think about water. Please don't tell the neighbours I said that.