Overview
- The Environment Agency declared drought status for Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire on May 21 under its North West Drought Plan.
- Rainfall between February and April was the third lowest in the North West since 1871, with England experiencing its driest spring period since 1956.
- England’s overall reservoir storage fell to 84% at the end of April, dropping below levels seen at the same point during the 2022 drought.
- Met Office figures show the UK recorded 630 hours of sunshine from March 1 to May 27, the highest total since records began in 1910.
- Environment Secretary Steve Reed has fast-tracked two major reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire by designating them as nationally significant to bolster future supplies.