Drought declared in eight areas of England

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

An official drought has been declared for some parts of England as temperatures soar to above 30C. The National Drought Group, which is compiled of government and agency officials, water companies and other groups such as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) met today to discuss the extended period of dry weather across the country.

The drought has been declared after affected areas in England saw the driest July on record since 1976. It means the Environment Agency and water companies will implement some emergency plans to manage the impact of low water levels, such as a hosepipe ban. Read more: Fears of looming drought as water levels at Woodhead Reservoir continue to fall The eight areas that have moved to 'drought' are Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Herts and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and East Midlands.

Water minister Steve Double said action was already being taken by the Government, the EA and others to manage the impacts. “All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe, and we have made it clear it is their duty to maintain those supplies”, he said. “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.” Four water companies, Welsh Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, and South East Water have all imposed hosepipe bans, while Yorkshire Water has announced a ban will start on August 26.

Yorkshire Water’s director of water, Neil Dewis, said: “Our decision to introduce a hosepipe ban is based on the risk that water stocks continue to fall in the coming weeks