Drought declared in northwest England after record dry weather
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UK sees sunniest spring on record as drought declared in northwest England
- The UK experienced its sunniest spring since records began in 1910, with 630 hours of sunshine between March 1 and May 27, a significant increase from 377 hours last year.
- A drought has been officially declared in North West England by the Environment Agency, due to the low levels of rivers and reservoirs which are currently at less than 60% capacity.
- Prior to recent rainfall, North West and North East England had both seen their driest start to a calendar year since 1929, while England had its driest February to April since 1956.
- England experienced its wettest 12 months on record between October 2023 and September 2024, leading to widespread flooding before the current dry spell.
- Environment Secretary Steve Reed has seized central government control over two major reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire, amid concerns that water demand could exceed supply by the mid-2030s without new reservoirs.