Drought declared in East and West Midlands in driest start to year since 1976
The move 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.
Hosepipe bans have been brought in for millions of households, with warnings that more will follow without substantial rain, and the EA said water companies must step up work to fix leaks, while households are being asked to think about how they use water.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lake 'at unprecedented low level after dry spring'
A reservoir in Staffordshire has fallen to an "unprecedented" low water level in the wake of the driest spring in more than a century. Rudyard Lake, near Leek, has dropped to 3.55m (11.6ft) below full, which adds up to about 30% capacity, according to the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which owns the site. Adam Comerford, CRT's national hydrology manager, said the dry spell had presented a "real challenge" in terms of managing water resources. "We've experienced one of the driest springs on record and it's gone into the summer with the heatwaves everyone has been enjoying," he told BBC Radio Stoke. "We are worried, it is unprecedented – it's exceptional," Mr Comerford added. The water is used to top up canals in the area, though he said other sources in the area can be used if the lake's levels get too low. He said the trust would never allow the reservoir to become empty, because of support it provides the wildlife, adding the lowest it would get to is 10%. Andy Rushton, who regularly walks at the beauty spot, said he did not remember the water ever being this low in the 40 years he has been visiting the lake. "To be honest, it's a bit depressing because you come down the driveway from the other bank and there's nothing to see – it's just dried mud," he said. "Being a lover of wildlife, it doesn't help any of the birds or anything that nests on this side of the lake." Hydrologist Margaret Clark, claimed the site had also suffered from a "lack of maintenance" for many years. "You would see low levels because it's a period of hot weather, but not as low as this," she said. "There would be ways of conserving the water." Ms Clark said she would like to see an effort being made to bring the reservoir back to its "designed standard". In response, Mr Comerford said the CRT was "investing hugely" in its assets across the country, with about £17m being spent each winter over the next five years. He said it was a challenge for the charity to maintain its reservoirs and canals in the face of rising costs. "We've got about 30% of the water left and we're trying to conserve that the best we can," he added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Drought declared in Midlands after hot, dry weather takes its toll Heatwave triggers reservoir swimming warning Severn Trent urges more caution with water supplies Canal and River Trust
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Drought declared in East and West Midlands in driest start to year since 1976
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. The move 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. Hosepipe bans have been brought in for millions of households, with warnings that more will follow without substantial rain, and the EA said water companies must step up work to fix leaks, while households are being asked to think about how they use water.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Map shows areas at risk of hosepipe ban as two new areas declared in drought
A official drought has been declared in both the West Midlands and the East Midlands. The Environment Agency (EA) made the announcement on Tuesday following a meeting of its National Drought Group. It means there are now five areas of England which have drought status, with the EA warning that three more could follow along with fresh hosepipe bans. The two areas of the Midlands join three other regions that were already in drought status - Cumbria and Lancashire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, and Merseyside and Cheshire. The EA has warned that three more areas - Thames Wessex, parts of the Solent and South Downs, and parts of East Anglia and Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire - could also be in drought by September if the country gets 80% of its long-term average rainfall and warm temperatures in the coming weeks. Three separate water companies have issued hosepipe bans - impacting 7.7 million people - following a summer of record-breaking dry weather. While drought status is decided by the EA, hosepipe bans are introduced by individual water companies, and three - Yorkshire Water, South East Water and Thames Water - have already announced restrictions. Yorkshire Water's ban, affecting 5.2 million people, is already in place, while South East Water's, affecting 1.4 million in Kent and Sussex, comes into force on Friday 18 July, and the Thames Water restrictions, impacting 1.1 million people in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire, begin on Tuesday 22 July. Thames Water announced its hosepipe or temporary use ban (TUB) after the EA places much of its area in its "prolonged dry weather" category, one away from drought status. The EA said it expects more water companies to follow with their own TUBs, although it will be dependent on rainfall and temperatures in the weeks ahead. Five areas are now in drought, according to the EA - Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Merseyside and Cheshire, the East Midlands, and the West Midlands. The EA has warned that three more areas could also be in drought status by September if rainfall remains low and temperatures remain high. These areas are Thames Wessex, parts of the Solent and South Downs, and parts of East Anglia and Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. The EA has also placed a number of areas in the "prolonged dry weather" category, characterised as the early stages of drought where dry weather is affecting river flows, groundwater levels and storage in reservoirs. So far, this includes areas such as the North East, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire and the Thames area. So far, hosepipe bans have been introduced by Yorkshire Water, South East Water and Thames Water, with about 7.7 million people affected, but where could be next? Last Friday, Cambridge Water - which is part of South Staffs Water - warned that it may have to introduce a hosepipe ban after the area's driest June since the famously hot summer of 1976. It said: "We are doing all we can to prevent any temporary usage restrictions, but this may be a possibility if demand does not drop, in order for us to continue to deliver a sustainable supply." Thames Water has so far ruled out bringing in a ban for those in the London area, but it did ask all of its customers "to be mindful of their water use". In the North West, water company United Utilities said on 8 July it had no plans to bring in a hosepipe ban, even thought some of its regions are in drought status. However, water levels in its reservoirs are at 65%, well below the average of 77.1% and last summer's level of 82.1%. In the North East, supplier Northumbrian Water said in June that all three of its reservoir groups were at "below average" levels, with Weardale reservoirs just 62% full. Severn Trent covers the Midlands and urged its customers to be "mindful of their water use" as a number of its reservoirs are at just above 50% storage capacity, although the overall average for its reservoirs is 71%. However, Severn Trent has not had a hosepipe ban since 1995, and said earlier this summer it is confident it won't need one this year. Anglian Water, which covers the East of England, said on 14 July it was "continuing to monitor the situation closely and we will take further steps to protect the environment if they are required". It said five of its six reservoirs are currently at "below average" storage. Hosepipe bans are officially known as temporary use bans, or TUBs – the rules of which are set out in the Water Industry Act 1991. A TUB prohibits people from using a hosepipe that is connected to their mains water supply. There are a number of activities which are banned as a result. These include: Watering a garden using a hosepipe, which includes a park, a lawn, a grass verge, an area used for sport, an allotment or any other green space Cleaning your car with a hosepipe Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises Washing a private boat using a hosepipe Filling a domestic swimming pool or paddling pool Drawing water using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use Filling or maintaining a domestic pond Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain with a hosepipe The purpose of TUBs is to reduce demand for water when supplies are low, with the EA saying they can reduce the amount of water that companies put in their distribution network by 3% to 5%. Customers who ignore a hosepipe ban could face fines of up to £1,000, but Yorkshire Water said 'we hope it won't come to that' as it urged households to stick to the restrictions. People can still wash their car and water their gardens using tap water from a bucket or watering can, while businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to an essential commercial purpose (but not for something like cleaning paths outside a property). TUBs do not apply to customers on water companies' Priority Services Register, which includes those living with a chronic or serious illness, dementia, mobility constraints or those who are blind. Customers who have medical equipment such as a stair lift, hoist or electric bed, heart or lung ventilator are also exempt from the hosepipe ban. Customers who are registered disabled or are blue badge holders do not have to adhere to the TUB.
