The Environment has declared a drought after weeks of unusually dry weather – the BBC reports
Following weeks of unusually dry weather, which resulted in low water levels in reservoirs and rivers, the Environment Agency has declared a drought in the north-west of England.
According to the BBC, the government agency has now declared an official drought after rainfall between February and April in the north-west was the third lowest on record since 1871.
The BBC, quoting an Environment Agency spokesperson, reports: “Despite the rain over the weekend, levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period.”
“With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation,” the spokesperson added.
The move to official drought status was reportedly revealed on Wednesday, following a period classified as “dry weather status” that began on April 30.
The Environment Agency has previously said that May’s dry weather and low rainfall had continued to impact public water supply reservoirs in central and northern England.
According to the Met Office, this spring is currently the driest in over a century.
In the Lake District, the low water levels in Haweswater have made the remnants of a village that was deliberately flooded to make a reservoir visible due to the lack of rainfall.
Mardale Green in the Lake District disappeared in 1939 after the nearby Haweswater valley was intentionally flooded to create a structure to provide water for the north-west of England.
It became one of the largest reservoirs in the country, supplying Manchester with drinking water for decades.
But because of a lack of rain fall, the reservoir – which has the capacity for about 85,000 million litres of water – is now around 30% lower than it should be at this time of year.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
