The Environment Agency has declared drought status for the north-west of England following the driest start to spring in 69 years.
River flows have been declining along with groundwater levels due to the dry March, April and start of May.
Reservoir storage levels in the region are also receding and are currently lower than they were at this time during the 1984, 1995 and 2022 drought years.
The recent rain, while welcome, is not enough to reverse the dry start to the year and expected hotter weather in the coming weeks is set to exacerbate the situation.
The decision by the EA to move into drought status sees the regulator increase their operational response while ensuring water companies step up the actions agreed in their drought plans.
This includes fixing leaks, communicating with customers and supporting them to reduce demand, and submitting drought permits to take more water, as needed. These actions if taken in a timely manner will help preserve supplies for people and the environment.
In the North West, the EA continues to work to ensure United Utilities acts in accordance with their drought plan.
Although the North-west has experienced a dry start to the year, it is a mixed picture in other parts of England. The Environment Agency and Defra ministers will convene a meeting of the National Drought Group on 5 June to assess the situation across the country and ensure that water companies are enacting their drought plans to conserve water supplies.
Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager at the Environment Agency said:
Drought is a naturally occurring phenomenon. As we see more impacts from climate change heavier rainfall and drier summers will become more frequent. This poses an enormous challenge over the next few decades.
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 and implement our Drought Plan.
