Drought is expected to be declared for some parts of England, as another heatwave scorches the country after months of low rainfall.
Reduced water levels at Hanningfield Reservoir, in Essex
Declaring drought will see the Environment Agency and water companies implementing more of their plans to manage the impacts of low water levels, which can include actions such as hosepipe bans. Temperatures reached 34.2C at Wiggonholt, West Sussex, on Thursday afternoon, and climbed above 33C in a number of places from Shropshire to the south east of England.
In the current hot dry conditions, Met Office’s fire severity index , an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start, is very high for most of England and Wales, and will reach “exceptional” – the highest level – for a swathe of England by the weekend. He also warned that rivers, lakes and other water could still be very cold in the hot weather, and that jumping in for a swim could lead to cold water shock and accidental drowning, regardless of swimming ability.
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