UK water experts say the current drought will not end simply because rain has returned this week, as recovery depends on water flowing back into rivers, reservoirs and underground stores, a process that can take months. Scientists say the key question is not whether it has rained, but whether water resources have actually recovered, since this year's drought has progressed through meteorological, soil moisture and river flow stages driven by both low rainfall and above-average temperatures.

Experts say groundwater and reservoir levels have not yet reached severe drought, with the British Geological Survey reporting no record lows and nearly half of sites at normal levels, offering some hope. A clearer picture should emerge by February or March once autumn and winter rainfall has had time to replenish aquifers, though full environmental recovery could take years; Oxford's Professor Tim Palmer has warned of a "catastrophic" 2027 if sufficient rain fails to return, while forecasters see signs, though uncertain, of a wetter-than-average European autumn linked to a developing El Niño.