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The drought has been declared over in 19 counties – but hose bans will remain in force.
Recent record-breaking rainfall led the Environment Agency to re-analyse water levels, as dozens of flood warnings were issued.
Areas no longer in drought are south Yorkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, parts of Gloucestershire, parts of Hampshire, most of Wiltshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, West…
TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh has lashed out at water companies as hosepipe bans come into force.
“It has always been my bugbear that gardeners keep being blamed for [water] shortages – it’s not our fault at all,” said the ITV Love Your Garden host.
“Gardeners tend to be some of the most responsible people when it comes to looking after water…
Gardeners are panic buying water butts as the drought tightens its grip on the UK.
Haskins, the four-strong garden centre chain with two of its outlets in hosepipe ban areas, reported that sales of water butts are up by 800 per cent compared to last year.
“What makes it even more incredible is that most people wouldn’t even be thinking about water butts…
Gardeners are to be allowed to use drip irrigation for the first time during hosepipe bans.
Up to 20 million homes in central and southern Britain will be forbidden from using hosepipes from 5 April, following two years of below-average rainfall.
Under traditional hose ban rules, anyone caught using mains water through a hose to water plants or wash cars risks a…
Gardeners in the south are on track for the worst water shortages since the summer of 1976 – while those in the north face the risk of flooding.
The north-south divide emerged as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) declared the south-east officially in drought.
Environment secretary Caroline Spelman called an emergency water industry summit and said: “Ensuring we…
Gardeners in central, eastern and southern Britain have been warned to brace themselves for hosepipe bans.
The damp Christmas failed to provide sufficient rainfall to replenish depleted reservoirs.
Environment Agency chiefs said Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, and west Norfolk were already in drought because of last year’s dry spring and autumn.
It warned that water shortages “may lead to more…
