Dorset and other parts of the South-West are now officially in drought, prompting calls from environment officials for the public to save water.

The Environment Agency says that a large swathe of central, eastern, and southern England is now experiencing what it calls a ‘flash drought’ – which develops very quickly and is brought about by a combination of very low rainfall and higher temperatures.

In much of southern England July is set to be the driest on record with the month seeing as little as 1 percent of expected rainfall in many spots.

The agency says that rivers are running low, farmers are having to harvest crops early, wildfire risk is increasing, and millions of people are living under restrictions on water use.

The seven areas in drought are:

• East Anglia,

• Hertfordshire and the whole of London,

• Thames Valley,

• Hampshire & the Isle of Wight.

• Devon & Cornwall,

• The West Midlands

• Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and south Gloucestershire)

Jim Flory, environment manager for the Environment Agency’s Wessex area, said:  ‘Bristol, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire is in drought, alongside Devon and Cornwall.

‘The South West faces the same pressures as many other parts of England who are also in drought. Water demand is high, rainfall is low.

‘Water is precious. Not only do we rely on it but so does the environment, with protected, designated areas like the Somerset Levels and Moors reliant on maintained water levels.

‘We all have a duty to use water wisely and we investigate all cases of water being abstracted illegally from the environment.’