Drought officially declared for eight areas of England
An amber weather warning for extreme heat from the Met Office is in place for much of England and Wales until Sunday - but then thunderstorms will hit next week
Yorkshire Water is the latest to announce that it will ban hosepipe use in its area for the first time in 27 years, affecting five million customers.
Monitoring Desk
London
Eight areas of England are formally in a drought due to high temperatures and low rainfall.
Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent, south London and East Sussex, Herts and north London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and the East Midlands are all in drought, according to the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs.
Members of the public and businesses in affected areas are being urged to use water wisely.
A drought is a prolonged period of water shortage, which occurs after long stretches of little or no rain.
“All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe,” Water Minister Steve Double said in a statement.
“We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed.”
By Friday afternoon, temperatures are to soar as high as 35C in southern areas of the UK, which will be hotter than the Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados.
An amber warning for extreme heat from the Met Office is in place for much of England and Wales until Sunday, with warnings of The National Drought Group, made up of senior decision makers from the Environment Agency, government, water companies and key representative groups, joined by Water Minister Steve Double, met today to discuss the response to the driest summer in fifty years and the continued action needed.
The group discussed the current outlook and the associated risks and impacts and agreed to further collaborative work across sectors to balance water needs and conserve water.
At the meeting, the Environment Agency said that the drought trigger threshold had been met to move parts of the South West, parts of Southern and Central England, and the East of England into drought.
The triggers used to confirm today’s move to drought status for these areas include the hydrological position (including rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir levels, and the dryness of soils), as well as the impacts these conditions have on public water supply, abstractors (including farmers) and the environment.
This is determined by the Environment Agency at a local level, rather than nationally.
Forecaster Craig Snell said: “It’s going to be an incredibly hot day, and very sunny across the board, with temperatures slightly higher than what we saw on Thursday.”
There is also a heat health alert in place from the UK Health Security Agency, with experts advising people to look out for those who are older or with existing health conditions, as well as young children.
The ongoing dry conditions, combined with last month’s record-breaking heatwave, have depleted rivers, reservoirs and aquifers and dried up soils, hitting agriculture, water supplies and wildlife and raising the risk of wildfires.
Harvey Bradshaw, Environment Agency executive director for the environment and chair of the NDG, said: “The current high temperatures we are experiencing have exacerbated pressures on wildlife and our water environment.
“EA staff are doing an excellent job responding to environmental impacts and working with water companies to make sure they are following their drought plans.
“Today’s meeting has helped to build on our coordinated action to manage water supplies, consider water users and protect the environment. We urge everyone to manage the amount of water they are using in this exceptionally dry period.”
Another latest report says Thunderstorms are to hit most parts of the UK as the Met Office issues a yellow weather warning.
While some places stay dry, thunderstorms are likely to develop during Sunday and Monday, bringing locally heavy rain and possible disruption, the Met Office has said.
The warnings will start from noon on Sunday and go throughout Monday with the Scotland and the north the first to be affected.
Forecasters say there is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
They added that where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services, as well as spray and sudden flooding leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost, the Met Office confirmed.
The news comes at various parts of the UK have been hit with hosepipe bans as regional water companies struggle to cope with the lack of rain.
Yorkshire Water is the latest to announce that it will ban hosepipe use in its area for the first time in 27 years, affecting five million customers.
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