Will there be a drought in England?
What is a drought?
A drought is caused by a period of low rainfall. They can last as little as a few weeks or up to a few years. According to the Met Office, there are four common types of drought: Meteorological drought - when rainfall is below average for an areaEcological drought - when low water levels affect the environmentAgricultural drought - when low water levels affect farming and how well crops growHydrological drought - when streams and reservoirs are low
How will the drought affect me?
The areas currently in a drought are: Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Yorkshire, East Midlands and West Midlands. Meanwhile the North East, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Thames, Wessex, Solent and South Downs are in a period of prolonged dry weather - the level down from drought. Experts are meeting to discuss ways to save water in the UK during this next period of hot weather. Some areas might be put under a hosepipe ban, which means households are asked not to use hosepipes to fill up things like paddling pools or to water plants to try and save water. Yorkshire water say the ban has helped to save 80 million litres of water per day.
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