Amid prolonged heatwave conditions, large parts of England were on Friday officially declared as being drought-hit, which means restrictions will be placed on domestic and commercial water use for residents in those areas.
The affected regions are parts of southwest, southern and central England and all of eastern England. The National Drought Group, made up of senior decision makers from the Environment Agency, government, water companies and key representative groups, met earlier on Friday before announcing drought status.
"We are currently experiencing a second heatwave after what was the driest July on record for parts of the country," said UK Water Minister Steve Double.
"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," he said.
Residents and businesses in the affected areas have been urged to be "very mindful" of the pressures on resources and told they should use water wisely.