Tune in to the latest episode of our Counting the Earth podcast.
We're talking drought. Yes, that’s right, drought! Our weather is experiencing extremes - from flooding to drought - so Alice and Sue delve into this whiplash weather with UKCEH senior hydrologist Lucy Barker. With January 2026 much wetter than average, they explore whether that rainfall is enough to replenish water reserves following the extended drought in 2025. Plus, what does the future look like for monitoring, modelling and mitigating against these extremes?
Alice and Sue also catch up with UKCEH micrometeorologist Dr Jon Evans at a COSMOS-UK field site at Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire, one of 39 sites which make up a national soil moisture monitoring network that’s literally out of this world. Soil moisture is just one measure alongside rainfall, river flows, groundwater data that UKCEH gathers in partnership with others to produce monthly hydrological summaries – an essential tool for environmental regulators, government agencies, water companies, researchers and farmers.
Listen to the episode: