Walking along the dry bed of the River Wharfe today, past ewes and their lambs cooling off in the shade of the bridge at Yockenthwaite Farm. My daughter had brought a fishing net and bucket, but there was no running water this far upriver. It’s been a great start to the year for growers – lots of fabulous veggies ahead of schedule – and days like this show how dry a month it’s been compared to the last few years. Yorkshire has endured its driest combined February, March and April for almost 90 years.