English drought warning spreads

The south-east of England is now in a state of drought, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced.

The region joins parts of eastern England that have been drought-afflicted since last summer, with reservoirs, rivers and groundwater aquifers in the South-east well below normal levels after two dry winters.

The state of drought in the region was declared after Defra convened a summit of water companies, farmers and wildlife groups yesterday to discuss potential water shortages in England.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Following the summit, Thames Water warned that there was a high chance of water restrictions, such as hosepipe bans, this summer, unless there was significant rainfall or customers used less water.

Some rivers and groundwater levels are lower than during the drought of 1976.

Related topics: