27 April, 2012

All south western counties have been officially declared as drought areas following exceptionally low rainfall over the last two years.

Despite the recent spells of heavy rain, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset are amongst 17 counties which have recently been named as drought zones by The Environment Agency. There are even fears that the problem could last beyond the turn of the year.

Trevor Bishop, who is head of water resources at the Environment Agency has urged those residing in drought areas to use water as sparingly as possible.

Speaking to The Press Association, he said: "A longer term drought, lasting until Christmas and perhaps beyond, now looks more likely. While we've had some welcome rain recently, the problem has not gone away, and we would urge everyone - right across the country - to use water wisely now, which will help to prevent more serious impacts next year."

The Environment Agency is hoping that by asking consumers to be frugal with water, they will not have to impose limits on commercial extractors, such as farmers.

According to thisiscornwall.co.uk, rainfall levels since October 2010 are at their lowest in almost 90 years.

Many counties in the Midlands, including Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire, have also been declared as official drought zones.

Source: Vertical Leap