Seven areas of England are officially in drought after a hot and dry summer, the Environment Agency has said. July saw 7% of the expected levels of rainfall, with just 1% across southern England.
Which areas are in drought?
The seven areas are East Anglia; Hertfordshire and the whole of London; Thames Valley; Hampshire & the Isle of Wight; Devon & Cornwall; the West Midlands; and Wessex, which covers Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire.
What is the Environment Agency saying?
Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said:
"The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it."
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