// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
How soon will the drought be over?
Rain has returned to parts of the UK this week but after months of dry weather will it be enough to end the drought?
It is the question many people are asking: when will the drought be over, and how much rain will it take for things to return to normal?
Contrary to public perception, a drought does not end with a few days of rain.
Water must flow back into rivers, reservoirs, and the stores beneath our feet in the tiny spaces between soil, sand, and rock. This can take months.
According to scientists, the key question is not "Has it rained?" but "have water resources recovered?"
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Dr Katie Facer-Childs from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology says there is not a straightforward answer to when this drought might end, because it has not been caused simply by a lack of rainfall, but also higher than average temperatures.
"This year we've gone through meteorological, soil moisture, and river flow drought," says Facer-Childs.
Meteorological drought is when rainfall is below normal.
Next comes soil moisture drought, which begins to affect agriculture. Soil is like a type of reservoir - those stores are depleted by thirsty trees and plants, and evaporation during hot temperatures.