Hosepipe bans on the way as Midlands now in drought

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.

- REBECCA SPEARE-COLE EMILY BEAMENT

The move comes in the wake of summer heatwaves and a drier than average June, with the Environment Agency warning three more areas - Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, and Thames - 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.

Across England, rainfall was 20 per cent less than the long-term average for June, which was also the hottest on record for the country, with two heatwaves driving unusually high water demand, the 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 per cent.