Jersey officially moved into 'absolute drought'

Friday 15 July 2022

Jersey officially moved into a period of ‘absolute drought’ today after going 15 consecutive days without rain.

The last measurable rainfall – 0.2 mm or more – fell on 2 July.

That means the island is now in an ‘absolute drought’, a higher metrological classification than ‘partial drought’ or ‘dry spell’.

Senior forecaster Bryan de Gruchy said that the last time Jersey was in meteorological absolute drought was 23 August to 6 September last year. That was the 128th official absolute drought since records began in 1894.

The longest single period of absolute drought was in July to August 1976, a total of 39 days.

He added that the next rainfall was expected at some point on Tuesday but it was too soon to be certain on how the anticipated cooler air and rain would develop.

Jersey Water said it was not planning on introducing water restrictions but was reminding islanders not to waste water and cut down on its use where possible.

Chief Executive Helier Smith said: “Water levels currently stand at 82.4% which is below the ten-year average for this time of year but still some way off the point at which we would need to switch on the desalination plant or introduce water restrictions. 

“In any event, we keep reservoir levels, daily demand for water and the rainfall forecast under constant review.”

Pictured: Jersey Water are advising islanders not to use lawn sprinklers.

He added: “Demand for water has been higher than average during the current hot spell. On Tuesday, demand was 23.7m litres which represents an increase of 2.9m litres on the same day last year, although still below last year’s peak demand of 24.7m litres in one day.

“That said, we are reminding customers of the benefits of being water smart and cutting down on consumption. Not wasting water is especially relevant during periods of hot dry weather when demand is higher, and resources are constrained by the lack of rain.

“During the hot spell, a large proportion of the extra demand for water will be used in sprinklers to water the lawn or hoses for garden plants. 

“A sprinkler can use in an hour as much water as a family of four in a day. It makes sense to recycle water from the household wherever possible to water plants and be more sustainable by not watering the lawn, which will come back naturally when it starts raining again.”

Mr Smith added that every Jersey Water customer had access to a free water saving app and free water-saving devices to help save water and money, which is available through the company’s website.