Region now officially in drought after dry year

BUT SEVERN TRENT HAS NO PLAN TO JOIN OTHER AREAS WITH HOSEPIPE BAN

- STAFF REPORTER

THE West Midlands has become the latest area of England to fall into drought as the country struggles with the driest start to the year since 1976.

Drought status has been declared for the region, along with the East Midlands.

It 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.