More than half of England enters drought status after extreme heatwave

London, July 29 (Petra) — More than half of England has officially
entered drought status following prolonged heatwaves and dry weather,
the UK’s Environment Agency said, triggering a drop in water
supplies, heightened risk of wildfires, and declining river levels.

According to the BBC, the drought declaration covers vast areas
across central, southern, and eastern England. More than 20 million
people are already subject to hosepipe bans, with further
restrictions likely in the coming period.

The agency said rainfall levels in July were exceptionally low,
reaching just 7% of the average across England and dropping to a mere
1% in the south of the country.

The sharp transition from a wet winter to an intensely hot and dry
summer has caused what experts describe as a “flash drought,” the
agency added.

//Petra// AF