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The West is in drought amid heatwave
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Over half of England, including the West Country region of Wessex, is officially in drought due to prolonged hot and dry weather, with July potentially being the driest on record.
- The Environment Agency (EA) declared the drought to manage water resources, as current water use is exceeding natural replenishment, describing the situation as a "flash drought" caused by rapid weather changes.
- Thames Water has implemented a hosepipe ban for its customers, while other West Country water companies like Bristol Water, Wessex Water, and Severn Trent Water have not imposed restrictions but encourage careful water use.
- Customers are advised to conserve water by adopting practices such as using watering cans instead of hoses, reusing paddling pool water, avoiding sprinklers, taking shorter showers, and running appliances only with full loads.
