Swathes of England have been placed into official drought measures by the Government today, with Herefordshire as yet not included.

Eight out of 14 Environment agency areas in England have been declared as in drought: Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Herts and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and the East Midlands. 

Herefordshire has yet to be included in the official drought area, however with Yorkshire and the West Midlands expected to follow the announced areas later in the month, further measures could be around the corner.

The change could lead to more measures such as hosepipe bans, however, the Environment Agency has reassured the public that essential water supplies are safe.

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Water Minister Steve Double has said in a statement: “All water companies have reassured us that essential supplies are still safe.

We are better prepared than ever before for periods of dry weather, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation, including impacts on farmers and the environment, and take further action as needed."