Today's Edition
LONDON (dpa)
The East and West Midlands have become the latest areas of England to fall into drought as the country struggles with the driest start to the year since 1976.
The move comes in the wake of summer heatwaves and a drier than average June, with the Environment Agency (EA) warning three more areas - Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, and Thames area - have also moved into prolonged dry weather status.
Across England, rainfall was 20% less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country with two heatwaves driving unusually high demand for water, the Environment Agency said.
Overall, it has been the driest start to the year since 1976 for England, and reservoir levels continue to fall, with storage across the country at 75.6%.
Millions of households are facing water restrictions, with a hosepipe ban implemented in Yorkshire in the face of reservoir storage at only 53.8%.
The Environment Agency warned that without substantial rain, more bans will follow.
Water companies are being told to follow their drought management plans as well as step up work to fix leaks, while the public are also being urged to use water wisely across England and comply with any local restrictions as the dry weather continues to impact water resources nationwide.
Scientists said the recent extreme conditions have been made more likely due to human-caused climate change, bringing wide-ranging impacts on farmers, who are expected to see lower yields this year, and the environment.
