Drought declared in East and West Midlands in driest start to 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.
The declaration of drought status for the East and West Midlands means the region joins Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, which are already in drought.
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.
Hosepipe bans have been brought in for millions of households, with warnings that more will follow without substantial rain, and the EA said water companies must step up work to fix leaks, while households are being asked to think about how they use water.
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