More hosepipe bans incoming, UK warned amid fresh drought declaration

A drought has been declared in the West and East Midlands - and more hosepipe bans could be needed, says the Environment Agency (EA).

Declaring a drought does not automatically mean a ban but water companies in those areas can implement one if they think necessary. Yorkshire Water has already restricted use, while bans are also being introduced in Kent, Sussex, Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire.

Some river flows in the Midlands are the lowest in June since 1976, according to the EA, and people are being urged to "play their part" and "use water wisely". The decision was made by the National Drought Group, which includes the EA, Met Office, government, water firms and others.

It warned "without further substantial rain, some water companies may need to implement further drought measures, including more Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) to conserve supplies". A TUB is the technical name for a "hosepipe ban" as it prohibits people from using one to do things like watering the garden, cleaning the car or filling paddling pools.

Using water from a bucket or watering can is normally still allowed - and businesses such as car washes and garden centres are exempt. Northwest England entered drought status in May, and Yorkshire last month after the driest spring there in 132 years.

Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, East Anglia and the Thames recently moved into "prolonged dry weather status" - one level below a drought. It comes as the country recently experienced its third heatwave of the summer.

The Environment Agency said rainfall across England was 20% less than the long-term average last month and that it was the hottest June on record. Reservoir levels are also continuing to fall, with storage in England at 75.6% and just 53.8% in Yorkshire.

Read more from Sky News:MasterChef 'bigger than individuals' and can survive - BBCGrandparents of two-year-old boy guilty of his murder "Water companies must now take action to follow their drought plans - I will hold them to account if they delay," warned water minister Emma Hardy. Helen Wakeham, the EA's director of water and chair of the National Drought Group, added: "This has been the driest start to the year since 1976, and we need to make sure our water supplies can sustain us through the summer.  "Today I have asked all the partners who make up the national drought group to step up their operational response to manage the drought and use water wisely.".