The latest update from the Environment Agency on the water situation in England says December rainfall totals were well below the long term average for England at only 44% and in some areas were the second driest on record.

Rainfall totals across England were below the long term average for December in all hydrological areas, with four-fifths of catchments being below 50% of the December LTA.

For a little over a third of sites, predominantly in the east, south-east and parts of south-west England, monthly totals were exceptionally low for the time of year. The 3-month and 6-month accumulations to December were also exceptionally low for the time of year in many hydrological areas.

For the South Essex and the Teign & Torbay hydrological areas, the 6-month accumulations were the driest July to December totals on record since 1910 and a further 12 hydrological areas were the second driest on record since 1910.

River flows for December decreased at the majority of indicator sites across England compared with November. All sites are classed as normal or lower for the time of year, with almost two-thirds of sites being below normal or notably low and just over a quarter of sites being exceptionally low for the time of year.

Four sites in south-east England (the River Ouse at Goldbridge, River Medway at Teston and Farleigh, River Great Stour at Horton, Rother at Udiam) and one in south-west England (Tone at Bishops Hull) saw the lowest December monthly mean flow on record.

During December, reservoir stocks increased and decreased in roughly equal proportions with a small number remaining unchanged. Grafham reservoir in east England experienced the largest decrease of 9% and Farmoor reservoir in south-east England experienced the largest increase of 9%.

End of month stocks were classed as normal for the time of year at one third of reservoirs and reservoir groups, with the remaining two-thirds of sites being below normal or lower.

At a regional scale reservoir stocks decreased slightly in east and central England, remained unchanged in south-west England, but increased elsewhere by between 2 and 4%. At the end of December, stocks ranged from 63% of total capacity in south-west England to 86% in north-east and central England. Overall storage for England increased marginally to 81% of total capacity.

Looking ahead at projections for river flows at key sites, the Agency said there is a greater than expected chance of cumulative river flows being below normal or lower at more than four fifths of the modelled sites at the end of both March and September 2017.

Projections for groundwater levels in key aquifers show that at the end of March 2017, just over two-thirds of modelled sites have a greater than expected chance of below normal or lower groundwater levels for the time of year.  At the end of September 2017, just over a third of the modelled sites have a greater than expected chance of normal or higher groundwater levels for the time of year.

Groundwater levels at half of the sites are normal or higher and the remaining sites are below normal or notably low.