Drought declared in Yorkshire after dry weather

Drought has been declared across Yorkshire following months of unusually dry weather.

The Environment Agency (EA) said low water levels in reservoirs and rivers had triggered the move despite recent rainfall across parts of the region.

Yorkshire officially entered drought status on Friday after a lack of spring and summer rainfall, having previously been classified as in a period of prolonged dry weather.

Yorkshire Water said it was not planning to introduce water restrictions for customers at this stage despite the drought declaration.

Andy Shaw, head of water production, treatment and energy at Yorkshire Water, said the EA’s decision reflected dry conditions across the region but “does not mean water restrictions are currently needed”.

EA manager Vicki Townend said Yorkshire had seen its fifth driest period on record between April and September.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external to get the latest alerts.