Following a particularly dry summer, reservoirs are starting to refill after the wettest March in more than 40 years.
Figures up to March 30 show 111.3mm of rain fell in England – 91% more than average.
February was also drier than normal, resulting in a drop in the amount of water stored in reservoirs such as Ardingly in West Sussex.
But new pictures show the stark difference in water levels at the reservoir, as West Sussex had its wettest month since 2001 in March.
The region had 132.7mm of rainfall last month, which is 240% of the average.
This difference is obvious when viewing new pictures, taken at the end of March, are compared to those taken in September following the dry summer.
Ardingly Reservoir is currently 100% full, according to the latest figures from South East Water.
Alex Burkill, a Met Office meteorologist, said: ‘Water levels weren’t particularly high going into March, you need several months of wet weather to make a significant impact on reservoirs.
‘March was very wet for West Sussex, the fifth wettest month on record.’
Both Ardingly reservoir and Hanningfield reservoir in Essex saw their water levels drop by more than a fifth in August of last year.
This is the largest fall ever recorded by any reservoir.
Steve Andrews, head of service management at South East Water, said: ‘Our water resources are in a healthy position at the current time and a little above where we would expect them to be.
‘Over the past three to six months, we have seen the drought conditions experienced during the summer be replaced by a period of exceptionally high rainfall that has had the benefit of replenishing our groundwater sources and reservoirs ready for summer 2023.
‘During February, we did see a return to drier conditions, reminding us of the importance of being vigilant, and we are keeping a close watch on conditions as we move into spring.
‘As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, we expect to see a greater demand for water so we will continue to work with our customers by asking them to use water wisely.’
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