Drought warning as reservoir levels fall

In its monthly summary for April, the centre said England and Wales received the lowest March and April rainfall since 1938, and a few regions suffered the lowest rain in records dating back more than 100 years.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is now set to convene a water meeting next week with water companies, farming and environment groups to make sure the country is prepared for drought conditions.

It was the hottest April across the UK in records dating back 100 years, and in central England it was provisionally the warmest April for more than 350 years.

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) said the exceptionally dry spring, which follows a relatively dry 2010, had resulted in agricultural and hydrological drought conditions affecting large parts of southern Britain, impacting on farmers and growers, an increased risk of heath and forest fires and on river flows.

Reservoirs saw their second largest March/April decline since 1997.