The wettest April on record and continuing rainfall in May have led the Environment Agency to remove the drought status for certain areas.

The organisation said that South West England, the Midlands and parts of Yorkshire are no longer in drought due to the recent rainfall. It is unlikely that water companies will now impose hosepipe bans in these areas over the summer. Parts of East Anglia and South East England remain in drought, with water company restrictions in place on public water use.

However, the Agency has stressed that groundwater supplies remain low across the country.

In the drought management briefing the Agency said that for public water supply the wet conditions have increased surface water flow and reservoir storage, but for those companies which rely significantly on groundwater, the underlying deficit remains and these companies currently have temporary use bans in place.

The EA has reviewed water availability in different areas to monitor the impact that the heavy rainfall has had on agriculture, the environment and public water supplies.

Dr Paul Leinster, Environment Agency Chief Executive, said:

“Water resources across England and Wales are kept constantly under review. The recent record rainfall has eased pressure on water resources in some parts of England, helping levels in rivers and reservoirs to recover and providing relief to farmers, gardeners and wildlife.

“The Environment Agency will continue to keep a close eye on the situation. Low groundwater levels remain a concern across many parts of England, with many still at a similar level to those in 1976 and unlikely to return to normal levels before the winter. A return to a long period of dry weather would increase the risk again.”