The recent weather washout has proved a blessing for low water reserves in the south but it is a story of mixed fortunes for local businesses. Sally Churchward reports

MORE than three times the average rainfall fell on Hampshire in two days making the possibility of a hosepipe ban in the county even more remote.

Some 12mm of rain fell over the weekend in the area, far more than the 3.6mm two-day average for the time of year.

And the Met Office is predicting that the wet weather will continue for at least the next five days or so, meaning it is probably not a good idea to reschedule all those cricket matches, barbecues and family outings that got rained off at the weekend quite yet.

It is good news for gardeners but people living in areas which have hosepipe bans and drought orders in place will be disappointed to learn that despite the fact that the south saw so much rain, this is unlikely to result in dry weather provisions being removed.

This is because, although May has been unseasonably wet, for the last two years we have had the driest two consecutive winters in 80 years. This is bad news because this is the critical time when water reserves are topped up.

So, although the rain is helping to limit people's water usage reducing the need to water gardens it is too little to make a significant difference to the overall water reserves.

Luckily for Hampshire residents, our water levels are high enough not to necessitate plans to introduce a hosepipe ban or any other drought measures.

Our water comes mostly from rivers and underground sources, known as aquifers.

An aquifer is an underground bed of earth, gravel or porous stone that stores water in Hampshire our underground water is stored in chalk beneath the Hampshire Downs.

Aquifers only really benefit from rainfall between November and March, when the level of moisture in the soil is high enough for water to seep through. At this time of year a lot of the rainfall is taken up by plants and never makes it to the aquifer.

So even though it has been unseasonably wet it has not yet been wet enough for the aquifers to be replenished.

"The water level in Hampshire is OK though in other areas it's very low," said a Southern Water spokeswoman.

"The rain has helped on the demand side but it doesn't help on the supply side. If it kept up for the next couple of weeks we'd be likely to see some improvement in the aquifers."

While the water situation in Hampshire is not currently causing a great deal of concern, in other areas of the south the picture is far worse.

Hosepipe bans are in place in Sussex, Kent, London, Essex and a drought order has been granted banning non-essential water use in the Sutton and east Surrey region.

A drought order bans washing cars, filling swimming pools and watering parks and sports grounds.