Seven areas of England officially in drought, Environment Agency says

Seven areas of England officially in drought, Environment Agency saysPublished1 minute agoSeven areas of England are officially in drought after a hot and dry summer, the Environment Agency has said. July saw 7% of the expected levels of rainfall, with just 1% across southern England.The seven areas are: East Anglia; Hertfordshire and the whole of London; Thames Valley; Hampshire & the Isle of Wight; Devon & Cornwall; the West Midlands; Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire).Helen Wakeham, director of water at the Environment Agency and chair of the National Drought Group, said: "The hot and dry weather means we are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it."This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external to get the latest alerts.