The Environment Agency has declared that a large swathe of central, eastern, and southern England – including Dorset – is now experiencing a flash drought – which develops very quickly brought about by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures.
Rivers are running low, farmers are having to harvest crops early, wildfire risk is increasing, and millions of people are living under restrictions on water use.
The seven areas in drought are:
- Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire)
- East Anglia,
- Hertfordshire and the whole of London,
- Thames Valley,
- Hampshire & the Isle of Wight.
- Devon & Cornwall,
- The West Midlands
Jim Flory, environment manager for the Environment Agency’s Wessex area, said: “Bristol, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire are in drought, alongside Devon and Cornwall.
“The South West faces the same pressures as many other parts of England who are also in drought. Water demand is high, rainfall is low.
“Water is precious. Not only do we rely on it but so does the environment, with protected, designated areas like the Somerset Levels and Moors reliant on maintained water levels.
“We all have a duty to use water wisely and we investigate all cases of water being abstracted illegally from the environment.”
