The entire South West region of England is now in drought following some of the driest conditions in nearly 90 years, the Environment Agency has said.
The Wessex area, which includes Somerset, Bristol, Dorset, South Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire, has been moved to drought status.
The triggers for the status include the hydrological position, such as rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels, reservoir levels and the dryness of soils, as well as the impacts these conditions have on the environment.
While the area has had some rainfall over recent weeks, it hasn’t been sufficient to compensate for the long dry period in recent months.
The drought status is a change in categorisation, indicating the impact prolonged dry weather is having primarily on the environment and water resources.
In the Wessex area, the effects of drought are resulting in low river flows impacting the environment in and around rivers.
Chris Paul, the Environment Agency’s area drought lead, said: “Despite some heavy rain over the past two weeks, it has not been enough to refill our rivers and aquifers.
“River levels across our Wessex area are exceptionally low – many showing the lowest flows on record.
“This places incredible strain on local wildlife and this is why we are moving to drought status. We are prioritising our local operations to minimise impacts on the environment.”
Action being taken across the area includes additional monitoring of the effects of the dry weather on rivers and responding to environmental emergencies, such as rescuing stranded fish, wherever possible.
The Environment Agency’s water situation national report for July provides a picture of the rainfall, soil moisture deficit, river flows, groundwater levels and reservoir levels over the past month.
The report highlights that it was the driest July across England since 1935, with monthly rainfall totals for the majority of river catchments classed as exceptionally low for the time of year.
There have been five consecutive months of below-average rainfall across all geographic regions in England and above-average temperatures.
River flows, groundwater levels and reservoir stocks all decreased during July.
With Wessex now declaring a drought, 11 of the 14 Environment Agency areas in England are now in drought status.